The Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Matthew Adepoju, has explained why Nigeria’s satellites cannot provide real-time surveillance data to support the country’s security operations.
Adepoju spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday.
Responding to concerns about Nigeria’s ability to track recent mass abductions in the North, he said there was a misconception about the role and limits of Earth-observation satellites.
“Sometimes there’s a misconception about what the satellites should do and what they have the capacity to do.
“The one that the military has, and the one we launched in the agency, are imagers. They don’t record videos,” he said.
The NASRDA DG explained that Nigeria’s current satellites orbit the Earth and revisit the country only after several days.
“They travel around the globe. For example, NigeriaSat-1 and NigeriaSat-2 take an average of three days before they come back here,” he said.
“If you want global coverage, we need to launch many satellites into orbit. As one is going, another should be coming,” he added.
Adepoju, however, revealed that President Bola Tinubu had approved four new satellites.
“This constellation will reduce the time lag to four to six hours, depending on the orbital slot.
“But we plan to add more satellites so that we can achieve near-real-time capability. We don’t yet have real-time coverage,” the NASRDA DG explained.
Asked how many satellites the country currently has, Adepoju confirmed that Nigeria currently operates only two active satellites.
The NASRDA DG said one was for communication and the other for earth observation.
‘Accessing Advanced U.S Systems’
Asked whether Nigeria has alternative surveillance tools, Adepoju said the agency had secured a partnership with a major US satellite operator.
“Due to the problem we face, we reached out to technical partners in America. It took us 18 months to secure the necessary security clearance,” he said.
The NASRDA DG said the partner operates nearly 300 satellites that could provide Nigeria with advanced intelligence.
“We have signed the MoU and the non-disclosure agreement. The only thing left is funding.
“It is a robust platform for signal analytics. We can even listen to some of the things terrorists are doing,” he added.
He further criticised decisions by states that disable mobile networks as a security measure.
“It breaks my heart when states shut down mobile communication. Most of these terrorists are not using mobile networks.
“They communicate through satellites, and I know that for a fact,” the NASRDA DG revealed.
When asked what Nigeria must do urgently, Adepoju called for a structural overhaul of security planning.
“First and foremost, the national security architecture needs to be rejigged. An agency like ours must sit at the table when national security issues are discussed.
“When you are not present during critical decisions, the information you provide depends on the interpretation of whoever receives it,” he added.
Rising Insecurity
The NASRDA DG’s comments came amid renewed pressure on security agencies following multiple abductions in northern states.
Twenty-four schoolgirls were abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi on November 17, but were later released.
However, 11 residents, including a pregnant woman, were abducted from the Isapa community, Kwara, on November 24.
The situation in Niger State, where more than 260 students and 12 teachers who were kidnapped by bandits remain in captivity as of 28 November, remains dire.
In view of the situation, President Bola Tinubu declared a security emergency on Wednesday and has ordered intensified aerial surveillance and a 24-hour security cordon around forests in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger states.
