Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ One of the biggest steps towards digitalisation, Nigeria‘s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology firm Galaxy Space. As part of the collaboration, Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite communication services will be launched across all of Nigeria, a bold departure from the utilization of traditional mobile infrastructure.
At the Abuja signing ceremony, NASRDA Director-General Matthew Adepoju described the collaboration as a milestone for Nigeria’s aspiration to utilize space technology for development. The D2D system will allow smartphones, laptops, and other electronic appliances to be connected directly to satellites without the need to go through ground-based masts or cell towers.
Adepoju highlighted that the innovation would greatly boost telecommunications access, especially in Nigeria’s underserved and rural communities. “We stand at the edge of communications revolution,” he asserted. “With D2D, ground-based towers will be a thing of history. Your phone, your device anywhere in Nigeria can reach directly to a satellite. That equates to no more dead zones, no more areas of non-coverage.”
Scheduled to come on line this year, the project is promising more than greater connectivity. Adepoju cited the long-term dividends in capacity building and technology transfer as keys to enabling Nigerian engineers to design, deploy, and maintain this cutting-edge technology in-country. “We can’t go on depending on imported technology,” he said. “It’s time Nigeria begins to innovate, not just to adopt.”
Spokesperson for Galaxy Space, Sam Xiao, expressed the same views and described Nigeria as a strategic entry point for the deployment of satellites across the African continent. He proposed a follow-on partnership to construct a specialized CubeSat a miniature satellite for domestic use, with Nigerian engineers contributing from design center to operation. In Xiao’s view, the venture could make Nigeria a continental leader in space telecommunications.
D2D satellite communication has the potential to enhance connectivity, especially in areas where conventional infrastructure is unfeasible or prohibitively expensive. With Nigeria at the forefront of space technology on the African continent, the NASRDA and Galaxy Space agreement could act as a model for other nations that wish to build more inclusive digital futures.
