Nigeria’s attempts at scientific development unfortunately don’t get much press. It is unfortunate because science is the ultimate key to our poverty problems. This is because the wealth that lifts millions out of poverty comes from productivity, and productivity comes from science harnessed to achieve economic goals.
One scientific development however, did manage to capture the attention of the Nigerian public and the popular press, and that was the launching of Nigeria’s space program by the Obasanjo administration in 1999/2000. The reactions were sharply divided along the lines of excitement and ridicule. Excitement, because those with the requisite imagination, could see the enormously important applications that could come from space technology. On the other hand, there was ridicule because there were some sections of society that understandably felt that there were more pressing needs elsewhere like in health and education.
In response to the critics, I think the then Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Turner T. Isoun, did come up with a pretty decent rebuttal. He pointed that space technology would be an important ally, in dealing with the problems in critical sectors like health and education. For instance, he noted that satellite technology would enable valuable services like telemedicine and e-learning, thus enabling to scale certain health and educations initiatives to parts of the country that would otherwise not get them. He also noted that space technology offers valuable decision-making tools for weather forecasting and remote prediction; assessment and management of natural resources including water, land, oceans, forests and fisheries resources (the key elements of planet earth’s life support systems); agriculture and land use monitoring (crop monitoring, soil moisture estimation, pest monitoring and control, and farmland mapping); disaster monitoring (oil spills, floods, wildfires, droughts etc.); urban planning (monitoring and management of urban sprawl, migration and population growth); mobile communications; telebanking services; internet connectivity and media broadcasting; academic research; e-government services; national security and counter-terrorism.
The skeptic might still ask. Has it been worth it so far? …it’s complicated. Perhaps before we get could into that we would like a rundown of the history of the Nigerian Space Program?
Nigeria’s space program was formally launched in May 1999, with the establishment of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). NASRDA was charged with the following:
- Coordinate Nigeria’s space activities.
- Develop space science and satellite technology for socio-economic benefits.
The next major milestone was the creation and approval of the National Space Policy and Program (NSPP) in 2001. The key goals of the policy were as follows:
- Develop indigenous satellite design and launch capability.
- Use space technology for environmental, agricultural, and security applications.
- Achieve human spaceflight by 2030.
In 2003, Nigeria launched its first satellite, NigeriaSat-1, an earth observation micro satellite built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), the commercial arm of the University of Surrey, UK with the active participation of Nigerian scientists and engineers. It was launched from Pletsck, in Russia. NigeriaSat-1 pioneered the use of remote sensing in national planning, having generated data that was used for disaster monitoring/response, agricultural mapping, environmental management, urban planning etc.
Between 2004 and 2007, planning was carried for the launch of NigComSat-1, a communications satellite. It was built by the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. NigComSat-1 was launched in May 2007 from the Xichang launch center, Sichuan Province, China, shortly before Obasanjo left office. NigComSat-1 was designed to do the following:
- Expand internet access and mobile telephony.
- Support telemedicine, e-learning, and e-government.
NigComSat-1 would suffer a solar array failure and was therefore decommissioned after just 18 months. Nigeria was issued a replacement, NigComSat-1R at no cost by CGWIC. NigComSat1R was launched in 2011 under the Jonathan administration.
In August 2011, NigeriaSat-2, a replacement for NigeriaSat-1 (which had an expected lifespan of 5 years) was launched. NigeriaSat-2 was also built by SSTL. At the same time, another earth observation micro satellite NigeriaSat-X, which was built by Nigerian scientists and engineers, with SSTL support, was launched. Both were launched from an active military base in Yasny, Russia.
In 2017, under the Buhari administration, students at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) built a nanosatellite, EduSat‑1 CubeSat with support from the Kyushu Institute of Technology, Japan. The nanosatellite was launched from the National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space center, USA. It was carried by a SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to the Japanese Kibo module of the International Space Station (ISS), from where it was relaunched into space. EduSat-1 had an effective life span of two years before it deorbited.
In October 2024, President Tinubu approved the launch of four new satellites. At least two are expected to be launched in the latter half of 2025. Of all Nigeria’s launched satellites, only NigeriaSat-2 remains operational (actually NigComSat-1R is still operational but its life span ends in 2026).
So what has been the return on this space adventure or is it misadventure? It is difficult to do a straightforward ROI calculation, because the satellites generate indirect as well as direct benefits that are not easily monetized. Also, some of the satellites like NigeriaSat-1 and NigeriaSat-X were launched primarily for resource mapping and disaster monitoring purposes and not for large-scale commercial purposes. NigeriaSat-1 did seem to generate substantial savings for the Nigerian government. Vanguard newspaper reported that it saved the government about $300 million that it would have had to spend to purchase satellite data, had it not had its own satellite. Given that NigeriaSat-1 cost approximately $13-$30 million, that looks like money well spent.
On the other hand, critics point to the fact that NigComSat Ltd continues to receive huge allocations from government as proof that the satellites are not generating revenue as initially hoped. Revenue figures for NigComSat-1R are not readily available.
It is very hard to argue against the deployment of satellites for social development purposes. Arguing against the human space flight goals however, is much easier. That one strikes me as a vanity project, and the money that might end up being budgeted for it, could definitely be better spent.
Bibliography
- Why Run Before Learning to Walk
- FG saves N45bn Through NigeriaSat-1 ‘https://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/05/fg-saves-n45bn-through-nigeriasat-1
- How Far with Nigeria’s Space Dream? Guardian News
