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The Federal Government has advanced the procurement process for four additional satellites approved by President Bola Tinubu, with the exercise reaching the stage of recommending successful bidders after an international competitive bidding process.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing a news conference ahead of the African Space Economy, Innovation and Communication Conference (ASEICC 2026).
He said the bidding exercise involved companies from China, Israel, Europe, the United States and Nigeria.
Procurement reaches contract approval stage
Udeh said officials of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) inspected the facilities of some satellite manufacturers to verify their claims before recommending successful bidders.
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He explained that the process had reached the stage of seeking approval to award the contracts, which would require further consideration by the Federal Executive Council because of the substantial funding involved.
- “The next stage is approval to award the contracts, which will also require Federal Executive Council approval because substantial funding is involved,” he said.
The minister said the proposed satellites would provide services to Nigeria and other African countries interested in accessing them, creating opportunities for regional partnerships and revenue generation.
He added that the conference would provide a platform for African countries and international partners to explore collaborations and the potential benefits of the proposed satellites.
ASEICC 2026 is scheduled to hold from November 24 to 27, with NASRDA hosting the event.
FG pushes for local satellite manufacturing
Udeh urged African countries to move beyond relying on foreign companies to manufacture satellites and develop local capacity for satellite design and production.
- He put the value of Africa’s space economy at more than $25 billion, with an annual growth rate of 7.97%, describing it as a rapidly expanding industry.
- The minister said discussions at the previous conference encouraged countries to view their national space programmes as interconnected ecosystems capable of generating mutual benefits through collaboration.
- One of the recommendations from the previous conference was for Nigeria to establish its own satellite launch facility. Udeh said the Lagos State Government had allocated land in Epe for a satellite propulsion and transportation facility.
He said the development showed that Nigeria was taking practical steps towards building local capacity in satellite manufacturing and launching.
- “This shows that we are not just making recommendations and proposals. We are taking practical steps towards manufacturing satellites and launching them from Nigeria,” he said.
Udeh added that the participation of chief executives of space agencies from Africa and other parts of the world reflected the growing interest in the conference and the progress made through previous engagements.
Nigeria’s satellite development plans
The latest procurement process builds on Nigeria’s broader efforts to expand its satellite infrastructure, strengthen communications services and develop local capacity in the space industry.
- In October 2026, Nairametrics reported that Nigeria’s procurement of six satellites under a programme estimated at $2 billion had reached 95% completion. The project comprises three optical Earth-observation satellites, a Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite and two communication satellites.
- It also includes plans for an Assembly, Integration and Testing Laboratory to support local satellite development.
The two communication satellites in the programme, NIGCOMSAT-2A and NIGCOMSAT-2B, received Federal Executive Council approval in August 2026. The satellites are expected to expand Nigeria’s satellite capacity and reduce its reliance on foreign infrastructure.
