Nigeria has launched  6 satellites to date:

1.NigeriaSat-1 (Earth observation) – 2003

2.NigeriaSat-2 (High-resolution EO) – 2011

3.NigeriaSat-X (Engineering/EO) – 2011

4.NigComSat-1 (Communications) – 2007 (failed in orbit 2008)

5.NigComSat-1R (Communications replacement) – 2011

6. NigeriaEdusat-1

Nigeria also has ongoing plans for:

•NigeriaSat-3 (next-generation EO mission)

•NigerIA SAR Mission (proposed radar satellite)

•HAPS / Stratospheric pseudo-satellites

•SmallSat and CubeSat constellations

Launch year: 2003

Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Mission: Medium-resolution Earth Observation

Key objectives:

•Disaster monitoring (part of the DMC – Disaster Monitoring Constellation)

•Agricultural monitoring

•Environmental mapping

•Flood early warning

•Desertification studies

•Support to national and African research institutions

Significance:

•Nigeria’s first satellite

•Enabled Nigeria’s entry into the global space community

•Supported international disaster response (tsunami, hurricane , Karachi floods, etc.)

Launch year: 2011

Type: High-resolution Earth Observation

Payload:

•2.5m panchromatic

•5m multispectral

•32m ~wide-swath~swath width multispectral

Primary missions:

•High-resolution mapping

•Urban planning & smart cities

•Security and reconnaissance support

•Flood and disaster management

•Agriculture and yield estimation

•Pipeline & Powerline transmission corridor monitoring

•Environmental and climate change analysis

Why important:

•Nigeria’s most advanced EO satellite to date

•Supports high-resolution mapping for national planning

Launch year: 2011

Unique aspect:

•Designed and built largely by Nigerian engineers trained at the Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., UK

•Symbolizes national engineering capacity development

Mission type:

Uses:

•Environmental monitoring

•Training mission for space engineering

•Technology/ Capacity demonstration

•Support to DMC missions

NigComSat-1

•Launched: 2007

•Mission: Communications satellite (Ku, Ka, C, L-band)

•Issue: Experienced abnormal power system behavior power failure  in 2008. Decommissioned .

NigComSat-1R

Launch year: 2011 (as a replacement to Nigc/ComSat-1 )

Mission:

•Broadband internet

•Television broadcast distribution

•Telemedicine and tele-education

•Government secure communications

•Rural connectivity

•Military and security communications

NigComSat-1R operates in GEO (Geostationary Orbit) and remains fully operational.

NASRDA (National Space Research and Development Agency)

•Manages Earth Observation satellites (NigeriaSat-1, Sat-2, Sat-X)

•Leads satellite development, calibration, and ground station operations

•Conducts remote sensing, GIS, and space science research

NIGCOMSAT Ltd.

•Manages NigComSat-1R

•Provides broadband, VSAT, telecom backhaul, and satellite TV services

Collaborating entities:

•Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology

•Ministry of Communications & Digital Economy

•National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

•Nigerian Armed Forces / ONSA

•Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security

•State governments for mapping and planning

Earth observation and communication satellites enable:

Security and Intelligence

•Border monitoring

•Pipeline vandalism detection

•Illegal mining and logging surveillance

•Maritime domain awareness

•Detection of camps, routes, and conflict zones

Disaster & Risk Management

•Flood mapping

•Drought and food security analysis

•Rapid incident assessment

Infrastructure Protection

•Power grids

•Rail and road networks

•Oil & gas installations

They assist in:

•Crop health and stress detection

•Soil moisture analysis

•Yield prediction

•Land suitability assessment

•Irrigation planning

•Monitoring of large agricultural estates

•Tracking desertification and erosion

Sentinel, Landsat, and other satellites are used to complement Nigerian missions.

NigeriaSat-3 is a proposed next-generation EO satellite.

Expected features (based on NASRDA’s concept notes):

•Higher resolution (≤1m PAN)

•Large swath width

•Enhanced multispectral capabilities

•Disaster monitoring specialization

•Strong integration with national geospatial systems

Mission focus:

•Defence/security

•Smart agriculture

•Climate change

•Urban development

•National geospatial data infrastructure

Yes.

NASRDA is developing proposals for:

•NigeriaSAR (a synthetic aperture radar satellite)

•All-weather, day/night surveillance

•Critical for flood, maritime, and security intelligence

This will close a major capability gap.

Data users include:

•Nigerian Armed Forces

•NEMA / NIMET

•Ministry of Agriculture

•Federal Ministry of Works & Housing

•Ministry of Water Resources

•State governments (mapping, land planning)

•NAIC & insurance agencies

•Universities and research institutions

•Private agriculture and mining companies

Main station:

•NASRDA Ground Receiving Station, Abuja

Supporting centres:

•Centre for Satellite Technology Development (CSTD) – Abuja

•Centre for Space Transport and Propulsion (Ede)

•Centre for GIS & Remote Sensing (Gombe)

•Centre for Basic Space Science (Nsukka)

•Centre for Space Science & Technology Education (Ile-Ife)

NIGCOMSAT also maintains its own satellite control infrastructure.

Yes.

•NigeriaSat-X involved significant Nigerian engineering participation

•Capacity building through Surrey Space Satellite  Technology Ltd., Guildford, UK

•Current national plans aim for:

•Indigenous EO satellites

•Local subsystems manufacturing

•Assembly, Integration & Testing (AIT) in-country

•CubeSat development programs

Earth Observation Satellites (NASRDA):

Revenue from:

•Mapping projects

•Data sales

•Advisory services (oil & gas, agriculture, mining)

•International collaborations

Communications Satellites (NIGCOMSAT-1R):

Revenue from:

•VSAT

•Satellite broadband

•TV distribution

•Government secure links

•Telecom operators

To achieve:

•National data sovereignty

•Geospatial independence

•Improved security intelligence

•Affordable datasets for agriculture and climate services

•High-frequency monitoring for disasters

•Integration with global Space 4.0 economy

Nigeria’s landmass, security terrain, and climate dynamics require persistent satellite coverage, which current assets cannot fully provide alone.