RASCOM DG Urges African Countries to Patronise NigComSat 

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

The Director General, Regional African Satellite Communication Organisation (RASCOM), Adi Ashong, has urged African countries to promote the pan-African dream of founding fathers and patronise the Nigerian Communication Satellite (NigComSat) rather than patronising vendors outside Africa.

He spoke to journalists on the first day of NigComSat week, which commenced with a press briefing by Ashong, and the Director General of NigComSat, Jane Egerton-Idehen, in Abuja Wednesday.

According to Ashong, RASCOM has put in place modalities for African countries to market African Satellite technology.

“One of the strategies that RASCOM has put in place is to empower and also be able to market African satellite operators and NIGCOMSAT is a very key component of that, including other African satellite operators.

“Like I indicated, the Pan-African dream that our forefathers put in place, we have to live with it. It’s not just about talking. We have to use the services that are provided by our African countries. 

“For example, Ghana does not have a communication satellite. So what I’ll do to help my Pan-African brother is to use a satellite that covers Ghana. And the next person I can go to is Nigeria. 

“And as the new Director General of RASCOM, it’s my mandate and also my resolution to ensure that Africans use satellite services that are being provided by the African member,” he’s said.

Ashong praised Nigeria for having a communication satellite, saying: “Nigeria is doing a great job for West Africa as it is Nigeria the only country that currently has a communications satellite. And putting this in place, the Nigerian Satellite Week is to create awareness of what Nigeria has.

“We know very well that currently, the foreign satellites have taken over the market. So, these  events are apt because they create the awareness of Nigerian satellite existence, the services they are offering so that the citizens might be able to patronise. 

“And let’s say it’s an avenue for us to ensure that African satellite communication operators get their market share of the satellite communication market in Africa.”

The DG NigComSat, Egerton-Idehen, spoke on the benefits of the satellite week organised by the agency which begins Thursday. 

“We are bringing policy-makers, industry leaders, experts, government and investors together to talk about the industry. What we really want to achieve this week is to make people aware of how we can use the satellite industry to grow the Nigerian digital economy,” she said.

According to her, the major challenge faced by NigComSat is lack of awareness of its value and products by Nigerians, adding that: “One of the biggest challenges we face; a lot of people are not even aware of our product, our services, what a satellite can do, how it can impact our economy. And that becomes a challenge. If you’re not aware, you cannot use.”

She explained that there is an Executive Order mandating government agencies and institutions to patronise NigComSat. But she wondered why it is not being enforced.

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