Nigerian Communications Satellite, NIGCOMSAT, Ltd on December 13, signed a Cooperative Agreement with Thales Alenia Space, in Toulouse, France, to collaborate on the testing or characterization of NigComSat-1R payload and demonstration of the capability of NigComSat-1R payload for Satellite Based Augmentation System, SBAS.

The successful testing of NigComSat-1R payload will lead to potential business opportunities aimed at addressing Navigation and Maritime Safety in Africa in collaboration with other Institutional Stakeholders in Africa. Under the Agreement, NIGCOMSAT would acquire critical SBAS equipment worth about €400,000.00 (Four Hundred Thousand Euros), FREE from Thales, including utilization of NIGCOMSAT services and knowledge transfer.

Thales Alenia Space Company is the foremost satellite manufacturing company with specialization in satellite payloads and satellite equipment with over fifty percent (50%) of the World Market share in satellite payloads manufacturing. NIGCOMSAT Ltd is a satellite communications service provider owned wholly by the Federal Government of Nigeria providing secured communications services in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.

As part of the negotiations held in Abuja on the Cooperative Agreement, top Management staff of NGCOMSAT Ltd, led by Kazeem Kolawole Raji, executive director, Engineering Services, visited the head office of Thales Alenia Space in Toulouse, France, to finalize the discussions on the Cooperative Agreement, which culminated in the Signing of the Contract/Agreement on Thursday December 13.

NIGCOMSAT management staff also visited the Assembly Integration and Testing, AIT, Complex of Thales Alenia Space among others. There were also several presentations on the capacity of Thales Alenia Space in satellite manufacturing and several technological advances in communications satellite models. Other possible areas of cooperation were also presented.

In his speech at Thales Alenia Space,  Kazeem Kolawole Raji, NIGCOMSAT Executive director, Engineering Services,  who represented NIGCOMSAT Ltd at the signing event stated that this Cooperative Agreement is a platform that will kick-start the collaboration between NIGCOMSAT Ltd and Thales Alenia Space towards establishing the capacity of NIGCOMSAT Navigation Payload towards the utilization of the Navigation payload of NigComSat-1R to improve Navigation and Maritime safety across Africa and beyond and eventually establishing Nigeria as a center for Navigation and Maritime safety in Africa.

On his own part, Bennoit Brody, vice president of Satellite Navigation Business Unit of Thales Alenia Space,  stated that this Cooperative Agreement would open a flood gate to demonstrate both the capacity of NigComSat-1R navigation payload and the capacity of Thales Alenia Space as a leading satellite equipment provider and finally create potential business opportunities in Navigation safety in Africa.

– Dec. 17, 2018 @ 17:15 GMT |