The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) has regained a dominant position in Nigeria’s communications space, now carrying over 50 per cent of the country’s broadcast traffic, according to Nkechi Jane Egerton-Idehen, its Chief Executive Officer.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Egerton-Idehen said the milestone marks a strong turnaround for the state-owned satellite firm, which had struggled with underutilisation despite significant government investment.
She revealed that major institutions, including the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Galaxy Backbone, and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), have returned to NigComSat’s network, while new clients, particularly telecom operators and service providers, are being onboarded.
According to her, the recovery was driven by deliberate efforts to rebuild trust, improve service delivery, and re-engage former clients that had migrated to alternative providers.
“Today, we carry over 50 per cent of the country’s broadcast traffic. More than half of Nigeria’s broadcast stations are on NigComSat,” she said, noting that some of these clients had to be actively won back after years of absence.
The CEO attributed past customer losses to the failure of NigComSat’s first satellite, which eroded confidence in its services. Although the satellite was replaced in 2011, the gap in service led many long-standing clients to seek alternatives.
She added that beyond infrastructure issues, service quality challenges—such as slow response times and reliability concerns, also contributed to the company’s earlier decline.
Egerton-Idehen called for a policy that gives government-owned service providers priority in public sector procurement. She argued that agencies should first consider NigComSat before engaging external providers, especially given that the company is funded with public resources.
NigComSat’s recovery is already reflecting in its financials, with revenue rising to N2 billion in 2025 from N650 million a year earlier.
The company is also planning future expansion, with two new satellites, NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B, scheduled for launch in 2028 and 2029. These are expected to enhance national security capabilities and support real-time data and intelligence gathering across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
