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• 2 satellites, cloud drive cut foreign tech reliance
The federal government is stepping up efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on foreign digital infrastructure, approving two new communication satellites while revealing that more than N3.8 trillion has been invested in information technology infrastructure since 2023.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the acquisition and deployment of two next-generation satellites, NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B, as part of efforts to expand Nigeria’s digital capacity and strengthen its technological independence.
The satellites will be deployed by Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), with the project expected to improve broadband internet, broadcasting, enterprise connectivity and critical government communications, particularly in areas where conventional telecom infrastructure is difficult or costly to deploy.
NIGCOMSAT’s Acting Head of Corporate Affairs, Stephen Kwande, disclosed the FEC approval, which moves the project into the next stage of implementation.
The satellites are expected to extend connectivity to underserved, unserved and hard-to-reach communities while improving the resilience of Nigeria’s communications infrastructure.
They will also support digital services in education, healthcare, agriculture, financial services and government operations, as well as provide more secure communications for critical national needs, including security and defence.
NIGCOMSAT Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, said the project would reduce Nigeria’s dependence on external satellite infrastructure while creating new opportunities across the satellite and digital technology value chain.
She said the opportunities would span telecommunications, broadcasting, ground infrastructure, systems integration, technical support and satellite-enabled services.
The project is also expected to strengthen local expertise through knowledge transfer, professional training and the development of skills in satellite engineering, network operations and cybersecurity.
The satellites will be delivered by Thales Alenia Space of France and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), while NIGCOMSAT will lead implementation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and other relevant agencies.
The government is targeting the launch of NIGCOMSAT-2A in 2028 and NIGCOMSAT-2B in 2029.
The satellite project comes as the government moves to build greater domestic capacity across other areas of the digital economy, including cloud computing and data centres.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed that the Federal Government had invested more than N3.8 trillion in IT infrastructure between 2023 and 2026.
“Based on data from 2023 to date, the government invested over N3.8 trillion in IT infrastructure,” Inuwa said in an interview with TVC News.
He said the scale of spending presented an opportunity for the government to redirect more of its technology expenditure towards developing local infrastructure and reducing duplication across ministries, departments and agencies.
“Imagine channeling that investment into building local capacity,” he said.
As part of the strategy, the Federal Government has adopted a Cloud-First policy, under which ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) will be discouraged from building separate data centres and server rooms.
Instead, government agencies are expected to move towards shared cloud infrastructure, which NITDA believes could improve efficiency and reduce repeated investments in technology.
“The government has agreed to adopt a Cloud-First strategy, meaning MDAs will be discouraged from building standalone data centers or server rooms and required to move to the cloud,” Inuwa said.
He stressed that the strategy was not aimed at shutting Nigeria off from foreign technology providers but at encouraging them to establish infrastructure within the country.
“The initiative is not about Nigeria closing its doors against foreign technologies, but asking them to come and build with us,” he said.
The government’s push for greater control of its digital infrastructure has intensified with several recent initiatives.
NITDA finalised a data classification framework in February 2025 to support cloud adoption and strengthen data governance, while the Central Bank of Nigeria in June 2026 directed banks, fintechs and other payment-system operators to host payment transaction data generated in Nigeria within the country by January 1, 2027.
NITDA also signed a Sovereign Cloud Framework in August, while the Federal Government unveiled a National Digital Cloud Policy aimed at increasing cloud adoption and attracting investment.
On August 21, NITDA and the Budget Office launched a Joint Technical Committee to develop the fiscal, procurement and investment structures needed to implement the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative.
The twin push for satellite and cloud infrastructure reflects a broader government strategy to keep more of Nigeria’s digital operations and spending within the country, while attracting international technology companies to build and invest locally.
With demand rising from fintech, artificial intelligence, telecommunications and other digital services, the government hopes the investments will not only improve connectivity and data security but also create jobs, build technical expertise and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on infrastructure located outside its borders.
