Nigeria, Belarus Close N1.2bn Satellite Deal

Sequel to its successful bid to provide in-orbit test services to Belarus, Nigeria is set to receive $6-million (N1.2bn).This is the result of a 15-year deal reached by Nigerian Communications Satellite –NIGCOMSAT(www.nigcomsat.gov.ng ) and Belarus National System of Satellite Communications and Broadcasting – Belintersat(http://en.belintersat.by/ ).

The agreement confirmed that Nigeria has the capacity to provide high technology satellite services to other countries. Under the agreement, the antenna for Belintersat's KU and C bands would be located in Abuja, Nigeria's and NIGCOMSAT would be offering and monitoring the payloads on the band.

Within the next 15 years, we shall be monitoring their payload and at the same time sending the information on real time to Belarus as they have ground station there. NIGCOMSAT started this business before them; we have the experience as we have been here in the last 10 years. In the next few weeks, we shall also start the Carrier Spectrum Monitoring (CSM), which also involves monitoring the traffic on the payload without sending any command, since they have clients that are based in the African continent, said Abimbola Alale , Managing Director ,NIGCOMSAT.

Andrei Yanovich, Belintersat’s Representative, said the agreement with Nigeria on the provision of IOT satellite services would enable Belarus to build capacity in the satellite communication.

Belarus is ready to further explore the marketing opportunities in Africa through collaboration with NIGCOMSAT to deliver services where they have enough bandwidth. Beyond the payload deal, she said Nigeria can also benefit from Belarus' bands since the West African powerhouse will soon fill up its own bands, she explained.