Tag Archives: Samson Osagie

Government spends N3.4bn on NigComSat

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The federal government of Nigeria has declared that over US$9.3m (N3.4bn) will be spent on satellite company Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat).

Samson Osagie

Despite the multi-million-dollar investments, NigComSat 1-R, the country’s primary satellite that is managed by NigComSat, has been under-used.

About 76% of the approved budget for 2020 will be used for recurrent expenditure, while the remainder will be spent on capital projects throughout the year. Most organisations that are supposed to do business with the company have been relying on foreign satellites instead.

Stakeholders in the industry have expressed concern over increased spending on NigComSat by the government. They have claimed that between 2011 and 2016, NigComSat spent more than US$60m of taxpayers’ money on recurring expenditure such as salaries, conferences, training, hotel and accommodation.

According to Samson Osagie, NigComSat’s executive director of marketing and business development, efforts are being made to reposition Nigeria’s satellite for optimum use.

He said: “While the global space economy hit US$348bn in 2017, Nigeria’s share of the market remains insignificant despite possessing a satellite with full capacity.

“NigComSat is in talks with all stakeholders to form partnerships that will boost the patronage of Nigeria’s satellite.”

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Nigeria, Turkey satellite alliance on the cards

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Satellite operator Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat) is in discussions over partnering with Turkish satellite firm Turksat.

Samson Osagie

NigComSat said the two companies were mulling a collaboration and exploring the possibilities of expanding the reach of their platforms by exchanging content.

Just days after the Satellite 2018 conference held in Washington D.C. in the US, Samson Osagie, executive director of marketing at NigComSat, said his company was exploring technical and commercial agreements with Turksat to ensure the expansion of its satellite footprint and to allow customers to leverage bandwidths on the satellite infrastructure of both companies.

“We are already considering the strength of our joint marketing, our mutual business development within the framework of the commercial and technical agreements and the required timeframe to put all these into action,” said Osagie.

“Once we agree on a working and agreeable business model, including building a gateway on the NigComSat platform and then training the NigComSat technical team in Ankara on the technical requirements of the Turksat system, we can begin to deliver the expectations of our agreement.”

NigComSat representatives were among the 14,500-plus satellite communication execs from 150 countries that attended the recently concluded Satellite 2018 conference.

In December, the company partnered with China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) to produce high-quality satellite content for distribution, broadcasting multiple TV channels across the country via its satellite services.

Established in 1990, Turksat is the sole satellite operator in Turkey and one of the world’s leading satellite companies.

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Liberia reaches out to NigComSat

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Liberia is seeking to partner with Nigerian government agency Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat) in an effort to meet the standards of digital technology worldwide.

Liberian president George Weah

Speaking at NigComSat’s recent presentation in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, Dominic Kwenme, the country’s assistant minister of planning in the ministry of education, said that Nigeria is leading Africa in digital technology thanks to NigComSat.

“I am proud to be part of this historic meeting which is meant to drive Africa, especially the underserved countries, to quickly meet up with the developed world, and Nigeria is doing us proud,” he said.

Addressing attendees, Samson Osagie, executive director marketing and business development at NigComSat stated that the organisation has various services, including internet service provision, a land administration documentation facility and more.

Professor Ansu Sonii, Liberia’s education minister, told the NigComSat delegation that the President of Liberia, George Weah, cares for the welfare of Liberians and is working hard to get the country out of poverty by ensuring basic necessities are provided. NigComSat will aid that vision, he claimed.

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