NIGCOMSAT's new satellites to track criminals, secure military comms by 2028-2029
NIGCOMSAT says its NigComSat-2A and 2B satellites will boost Nigeria's security by enabling criminal tracking and secure military communications in remote areas, MD Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen said in a Sunrise Daily interview on Monday. The satellites will support surveillance using imagery and mapping tech, particularly where conventional infrastructure is limited.
Egerton-Idehen highlighted troops in places like Sambisa Forest struggling with insecure or nonexistent comms, stating the new satellites will provide scalable, secure tools for defense agencies. She emphasized this addresses gaps where existing channels get compromised.
The project, initially planned since 2021 with N500.4 million budgeted for 2023, faced delays but regained momentum under Egerton-Idehen's leadership. NigComSat-2A is now set for 2028 launch, 2B for 2029, following Federal Executive Council approval in August 2026. This complements the $2 billion BRIDGE fiber-optic network also approved that month.
With satellites launching in 2028-2029 and nationwide fiber optics expanding now, will these combined infrastructure efforts meaningfully improve security and connectivity where you live?