Nigeria’s satellite outdated but functioning by grace – NASRDA DG

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Monday, June 7th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Halilu Shaba, director-general of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), has stated that Nigeria’s satellite is outdated but still functioning by “grace”.

Nigeria has been plagued by kidnapping, banditry, communal clashes, attacks on government facilities, and killings and despite efforts by security agencies to control the situation, the security threats continue to increase.

Speaking concerning satellite operations and national security when he featured on a Channels Television’s programme, Shaba stated that Nigeria has only one satellite and that it is not enough to serve the country.

According to him, the satellite was installed in 2011 and should have been changed since it has a seven-year life span.

“We have only one satellite (built in 2011). It has a seven-year life span and the life span is supposed to have expired in 2018. In our culture of satellite industries, you build a new satellite that is supposed to have replaced that one before you; we have not done that,” Shaba said.

“We are living on grace because normally based on the fuel of the satellite, you imagine that it is going to last for seven years but since 2018, the satellite has been functional and it is still giving us the necessary data.”

Shaba stated that although having more than one satellites and changing the old one is a priority, the country’s paucity of fund have made it difficult to achieve that.