Deborah Akinyosoye
The Federal Government has said Nigeria could generate over N200 billion annually through space regulation and licensing as it begins a comprehensive framework to monetise the country’s presence in the global space economy.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, disclosed this in Abuja, on Tuesday, during a stakeholders’ engagement and sensitisation on the commencement of space regulation, spectrum management, and licensing in Nigeria.
The workshop organised by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) also witnessed the unveiling of a new logo for the agency performed by the permanent secretary Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Esuabana Asanye.
The minister said the figure is projected to grow by 18 to 20 per cent annually, adding that the new regulatory framework would not only unlock revenues from existing operators like Starlink and DStv, but also ensure better service delivery, national security, and accountability in the space sector.
The minister said: “We are pursuing the national space policy very vigorously to include what is relevant and what is obtainable in today’s space economy. Starlink and most of them, including DSTV, they will come here, some will pay, some will pay peanuts, shortchanging Nigerians.
“These are part of what we want to address by this space regulation and licensing. And we can be sure that yearly, if we are going by what my capacity DG of NASRDA have said, we will be looking at over 200 billion annually, with incremental yearly of 18-20 per cent. And this is just one of it that is coming out of NASRDA.
He added that the National Space Council, chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and co-chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, has approved the mainstreaming of space technology into national revenue generation strategies, especially for applications like oil pipeline surveillance and maritime monitoring.
According to the minister, illegal bunkering and untracked vessel activities along Nigeria’s coastlines can be tackled through space-based monitoring, with the potential to generate over $20 billion in revenue.
“With satellite monitoring, we can detect ships gliding in with their ignition off to avoid paying bunker fees. Once we identify them, we can pin and extract those fees. It will save us billions that are currently wasted on human surveillance and security contracts,” Nnaji said.
The minister also criticised some satellite service providers for under-utilising bandwidth to the detriment of Nigerian consumers.