Nigeria Plans Satellite Assembly Lab to Boost Local Space Manufacturing
Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria is planning to establish an end-to-end satellite assembly, integration and testing laboratory as part of efforts to build domestic capacity to manufacture and operate advanced satellites.
The Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Matthew Adepoju, disclosed this during an interview in Abuja on Friday, saying the facility was a central component of the Federal Government’s broader space development plans approved by the Federal Executive Council.
Adepoju said the laboratory would enable Nigeria to assemble, integrate and test satellites locally, reducing reliance on overseas facilities and strengthening the country’s capacity to undertake future space missions.
He said the facility was expected to be completed within 18 months after the relevant contract was signed.
The planned laboratory comes alongside Nigeria’s acquisition of six advanced satellites intended to replace aging assets and expand the country’s Earth observation and communications capabilities.
The satellites comprise three optical Earth observation satellites, one Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite and two communications satellites designated 2A and 2B. “We have three optical satellites to be launched at sub-metre resolution. We have Synthetic Aperture Radar to be launched at one-metre and sub-metre resolution, then communication satellites, which come as 2A and 2B,” Adepoju said.
He said the satellites were not nanosatellites and that funding for their acquisition had already been secured.
According to the NASRDA director-general, procurement for the six satellites was about 95 per cent complete, with memoranda of understanding and formal contracts expected to be concluded with foreign technical partners.
The partners include Israel Aerospace Industries, Thales Alenia Space and China Great Wall Industry Corporation.
Adepoju said the agreements were expected to be finalised during the African Space Economic Conference scheduled for November.
About the Author
Mirian Gom 
