From Sola Ojo, Kaduna
The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has advised national security agencies to adopt local satellite solutions to speed up their fight against banditry and terrorism in the country.
The call became necessary amidst a backdrop of increasing incidents of banditry and terrorism threatening the country’s internal and territorial integrity.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT Ltd, Mrs. Nkechi Jane Egerton-Idohen made the call on the sideline of a press briefing in Kaduna.
She emphasised the need to leverage domestic satellite capabilities to fortify the country’s security landscape.
Lamenting the prevalent trend of security agencies seeking foreign partners for satellite assistance, she noted that NIGCOMSAT is fully equipped to provide tailored solutions to meet Nigeria’s unique security needs.
“Why go abroad when we have the expertise and capacity right here at NIGCOMSAT? She queried.
Egerton-Idohen then urged the security operatives to prioritise the adoption of homegrown satellite technology, asserting that NIGCOMSAT’s coverage spans every corner of Nigeria, offering a comprehensive solution to the nation’s security challenges.
“Most countries prefer to use their private satellite to address security concerns. So one of the things we have been doing is to go back to our security agencies and bring them back on the table.
“We don’t see why they have to go to foreign satellite partners to address these concerns when NIGCOMSAT covers every single breadth of Nigeria. We have the available capacity and the expertise to give them the solution they need.
“It is a plea we have been making. We want to work with the security agencies. We have already started working with some of them but we think there is an opportunity to do more. We have the capacity and capability to do it. I think it is important to make it a top priority,” she added.