The Federal Government has commenced procurement processes for four additional satellites approved by President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, disclosed this while addressing a press conference on the forthcoming African Space Economy, Innovation and Communication Conference (ASEICC 2026) in Abuja on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
The conference, scheduled for November 24 to November 27 would be hosted by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).
Udeh said the procurement had reached the stage of recommending successful bidders following an international competitive bidding process involving companies from China, Israel, Europe, the United States, and Nigeria.
Udeh said officials of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, NASRDA and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) had also inspected facilities of some satellite manufacturers to verify their claims before recommending them.
“The next stage is approval to award the contracts, which will also require Federal Executive Council approval because substantial funding is involved,” the minister said.
He said ASEICC 2026 would provide an opportunity for African countries and international partners to explore collaborations and discuss the potential benefits of the proposed satellites.
Udeh explained that the satellites would provide services not only to Nigeria but also to other African countries interested in accessing their services, creating opportunities for partnerships and revenue generation.
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Udeh said the conference would also challenge African countries to move beyond contracting foreign companies to manufacture satellites and begin developing local capacity to design and manufacture them within the continent.
He put the value of Africa’s space economy at more than $25 billion, with an annual growth rate of 7.97 per cent, describing the sector as one of the continent’s rapidly expanding industries.
On the implementation of recommendations from the previous conference and expectations for the year’s own, Udeh said the platform had encouraged African countries to view their individual space programmes as interconnected ecosystems.
The minister added that the ecosystem was capable of generating mutual benefits through collaboration.
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