RASCOM was launched into geo-stationary orbit on December 27, 2007, but developed a fuel leakage, which reduced its lifespan from 15 years to two and half years. In his response, Zaku said Nigeria will consider areas of collaboration with the regional satellite operators, with the view to creating more capacity in the African continent. He admitted that there was need for the two satellites operators to work together and assured RASCOM that Nigeria would improve its shareholding in the regional satellite company. Kilimbe had earlier visited the ground station of NIGCOMSAT Limited.
Satnews Daily
May 18th, 2009
Nigeria's Satellite Share Losing Ground
As reported by Obinna Ezeobi of PUNCH On The Web, Nigeria’s shareholding in the Regional African Satellite project has been whittled down to 2.6 per cent and now lags behind many other African countries, as stated by Director-General, Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation, Dr. Jones Kilimbe.
A statement obtained by a PUNCH On The Web correspondent in Abuja last Monday quoted Kilimbe as stating such when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Alhasan Zaku. He regretted that Nigeria, which was part of the founding fathers of the project with a more than six per cent share in the beginning, now ranked 16th. The DG further called on Nigeria to invest in the commercial arm of RASCOM, as it was set to launch a replacement for its satellite in June 2010, with plans to launch more satellites as back-ups. Kilimbe also advocated closer collaboration between RASCOM and Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited to create more interconnectivity in the Africa. According to him, Africa needed more satellites to position itself on the same level with other global satellite operators in the world.
RASCOM was launched into geo-stationary orbit on December 27, 2007, but developed a fuel leakage, which reduced its lifespan from 15 years to two and half years. In his response, Zaku said Nigeria will consider areas of collaboration with the regional satellite operators, with the view to creating more capacity in the African continent. He admitted that there was need for the two satellites operators to work together and assured RASCOM that Nigeria would improve its shareholding in the regional satellite company. Kilimbe had earlier visited the ground station of NIGCOMSAT Limited.
RASCOM was launched into geo-stationary orbit on December 27, 2007, but developed a fuel leakage, which reduced its lifespan from 15 years to two and half years. In his response, Zaku said Nigeria will consider areas of collaboration with the regional satellite operators, with the view to creating more capacity in the African continent. He admitted that there was need for the two satellites operators to work together and assured RASCOM that Nigeria would improve its shareholding in the regional satellite company. Kilimbe had earlier visited the ground station of NIGCOMSAT Limited.