Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) has dismissed reports suggesting a crisis with Chinese state-owned aerospace firm China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) over an alleged $11.44 million unpaid satellite service fee.
The company disclosed this in a statement shared with Nairametrics, describing the media reports as misleading.
This clarification follows earlier reports suggesting CGWIC had issued a 30-day ultimatum to NigComSat over unpaid services.
What NigComSat said
Stephen Kwande, Head of Corporate Communications at NigComSat, stated that it is unclear where the misleading information originated.
He confirmed that the agency has been in contact with CGWIC executives and representatives in Nigeria, who denied knowledge of the reports and expressed concern about the inaccuracies.
- “Our relationship with our business partners at CGWIC is not in any crisis as reported. We continue to maintain a strong partnership. During our meeting on Wednesday, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to a constructive working relationship,” Kwande said.
Backstory
Earlier media reports had claimed that CGWIC warned it could deactivate the active transponders of Nigeria’s NigComSat-1R satellite if the alleged debt remained unpaid.
The report stated that the outstanding payment related to Telemetry, Tracking and Command services provided from the Chinese ground control facility in Kashi.
The report alleged that CGWIC had issued a 30-day ultimatum to NigComSat over an alleged debt of $11.44 million for operational support services linked to Nigeria’s communications satellite
What you should know
Nigeria’s satellite partnership with China dates back more than two decades. In 2004, Nigeria signed a contract with China Great Wall Industry Corporation to design, manufacture and launch the country’s first communications satellite, NigComSat-1.
- That satellite was launched from China in 2007 aboard a Long March rocket but failed in orbit in 2008 due to a solar array malfunction that caused it to lose power.
- Following the failure, Nigeria signed another agreement with the Chinese firm in 2009 to build a replacement satellite, NigComSat-1R, which was launched on December 19, 2011 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China.
- NigComSat-1R was designed with a lifespan of about 15 years and carries 28 transponders across Ka-band, Ku-band, C-band and L-band frequencies, providing satellite services such as television broadcasting, broadband internet, data transmission and navigation across Africa and parts of Europe and Asia.
- Under the cooperation framework, Chinese partners have continued to provide technical support, including satellite tracking, control and ground station services, while Nigeria operates the satellite through NigComSat.
Nairametrics reported that the Nigerian satellite company has begun the process of replacing the country’s satellite, NIGCOMSAT-1R, and seeking investors from across the globe to support the project. This is because satellite is set to complete its 15-year lifespan in 2026.
