FG approves four new satellites for security, agriculture, environmental monitoring
The Federal Government has approved the development and deployment of four new satellites to strengthen Nigeria’s space technology and earth observation capabilities, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) said.
In a post on its official Facebook page, the NOA disclosed that the initiative will be implemented through the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), and is expected to expand the country’s capacity to use satellite technology for national development.
According to the agency, the satellites will support critical sectors, including national security, agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster management and urban planning.
The four satellites will comprise three optical satellites and one Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite, providing Nigeria with improved capacity to monitor its land and environment.
In particular, the SAR satellite will enable the country to gather information under cloudy conditions and at night, when conventional optical satellites may have limitations.
The expanded satellite capabilities are also expected to provide timely data that can support monitoring, planning and response efforts across various sectors of the economy.
NOA said the initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to leveraging science, technology and innovation to strengthen Nigeria’s technological capacity and improve national development planning.
The NOA further noted that the programme aims to enhance access to reliable earth observation data and support evidence-based decision-making in areas critical to the country’s security, economy and environmental management.
