The Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Mathew Adepoju, has raised concerns over terrorist communication in Nigeria. He said these groups have moved from mobile networks to satellite-based systems.
During a Friday interview on Channels Television, Dr. Adepoju said shutting down mobile networks during operations is largely ineffective. “It breaks my heart when state governments shut down mobile communication. Most terrorists do not use mobile networks. They communicate via satellites,” he explained.
Limitations of Nigeria’s Current Satellites
Dr. Adepoju said many Nigerians misunderstand current satellites’ capabilities. “The satellites we have—NigeriaSat-1, NigeriaSat-X, and NigeriaSat-2—were built for imaging, not real-time video. They do not record videos and orbit the globe,” he said.
He added that these satellites take about three days to revisit the same location. Therefore, Nigeria cannot rely on them for rapid intelligence.
New Satellite Constellation to Boost Monitoring
The NASRDA boss revealed that President Bola Tinubu approved a new satellite constellation. This will reduce revisit times to four to six hours, depending on orbital placement. Additionally, the agency plans to launch four or five more satellites for near real-time monitoring.
“If we want global coverage, we need many satellites in orbit. As one launches, another must follow. That is why the president approved a constellation of four,” he explained.
International Partnership to Strengthen Intelligence
Dr. Adepoju also disclosed NASRDA’s deal with a U.S. technical partner controlling nearly 300 satellites. These satellites provide advanced signal analytics. However, the funds to activate this partnership are not yet released.
In summary, Nigeria is modernizing its satellite fleet. These steps will improve monitoring and strengthen security against fast-moving terrorist threats.
