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NIGCOMSAT Targets Industrial Leap with Startup Push, Skills Drive
NIGCOMSAT Targets Industrial Leap with Startup Push, Skills Drive
By: Michael Mike
Nigeria’s state-owned satellite operator, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), is repositioning itself at the heart of the country’s industrialisation agenda, backing over 5,000 startups and expanding digital skills training as part of a broader push to turn connectivity into economic power.
The Managing Director/CEO, Jane Egerton-Idehen, disclosed the scale of intervention at the SOYUZNIK Alumni National Congress in Abuja, where she framed satellite infrastructure not just as a communications tool, but as a catalyst for production, innovation, and national competitiveness.
In a keynote delivered on her behalf by Acting Director of Technical Services, Engr. Ikechukwu Amalu, Egerton-Idehen said the agency’s Space Accelerator Programme—now in its third cohort—has quietly evolved into a pipeline for nurturing technology-driven enterprises, particularly in underserved segments of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The intervention comes amid growing concern that Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem, though vibrant, remains weakly linked to industrial output. NIGCOMSAT’s approach seeks to close that gap—pairing startup support with hands-on technical training and expanding connectivity to areas historically left out of the digital economy.
Across states including Adamawa, Jigawa, Cross River, and Enugu, the agency’s VSAT training programmes are equipping young Nigerians with practical, market-ready skills, targeting employability and enterprise creation rather than theoretical knowledge.
Egerton-Idehen argued that such interventions are critical if Nigeria is to transition from a consumption-driven economy to a production-led one.
“Connectivity is no longer a luxury—it is the foundation of modern economic systems,” she said, stressing that countries that fail to build strong digital infrastructure risk being locked out of the next phase of global industrial competition.
She pointed to ongoing projects such as the 774 Connectivity Initiative, which has so far extended digital access to dozens of local government secretariats, as part of efforts to deepen governance, improve service delivery, and stimulate economic activity at the grassroots.
Beyond infrastructure, she called for a structural reset in Nigeria’s education system, urging stronger alignment with emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, data science, and satellite communications.
According to her, the real challenge is not a lack of talent, but the absence of systems that convert knowledge into measurable economic output.
She also warned that innovation ecosystems cannot thrive without deliberate collaboration between academia, industry, and government, backed by sustained investment in research and clear regulatory frameworks that protect intellectual property.
The SOYUZNIK Alumni—comprising graduates of Russian and former Soviet Union institutions—were urged to leverage their international exposure to drive technology transfer and localisation of innovation within Nigeria.
In his welcome remarks, Abuja chapter chairman, Agu Collins Agu, described the congress as a convergence of technical expertise with the potential to influence national development outcomes.
As Nigeria grapples with sluggish industrial growth and rising youth unemployment, NIGCOMSAT’s expanding role signals a strategic shift—one that places digital infrastructure, innovation, and skills development at the centre of the country’s economic transformation agenda.
NIGCOMSAT Targets Industrial Leap with Startup Push, Skills Drive
News
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
By: Our Reporter
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has recounted a touching childhood memory about former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon, portraying him as a compassionate leader who extended personal support to the family of a military officer killed during the 1966 coup.
Speaking during an interview on Signature TV, Sanusi reflected on his early years at St Anne’s Secondary School in Kaduna, where he attended school alongside Yusuf Pam, the son of the late Colonel Joseph Pam, one of the victims of the January 1966 Nigerian coup.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria recalled that despite the demands of national leadership, Gowon took a personal interest in the wellbeing of Yusuf following the loss of his father. According to Sanusi, the former Head of State frequently sent handwritten letters to the young boy, signing them “Uncle Joe.”
“What I remember at the age of eight was that General Gowon, as Head of State, would send a handwritten letter to Yusuf signed ‘Uncle Joe.’ That is a window into the person you are dealing with,” Sanusi said.
The Emir noted that the gesture has remained vivid in his memory over the years because it revealed a caring and humane side of leadership during one of the most turbulent periods in Nigeria’s history. He suggested that Gowon’s actions reflected empathy and a sense of responsibility toward families affected by the political upheaval of the time.
Colonel Pam was among several prominent figures who lost their lives during the 1966 coup, a pivotal event that reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape and contributed to years of instability and conflict that followed.
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
Troops Rescue Kidnapped Woman in Katsina Community
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 17 Brigade deployed at Yantumaki in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State have rescued a 30-year-old woman abducted by suspected terrorists during an early morning attack on the community.
Security sources said the troops responded swiftly after hearing gunshots from the outskirts of the town in the early hours of May 21.
According to the sources, the soldiers immediately mobilised to the area where frightened residents informed them that the terrorists had abducted a woman identified as Mrs Abida Rufai and escaped into the surrounding bush.
The troops were said to have trailed the attackers along their withdrawal route and subsequently engaged them in a gun duel.
Overpowered by the troops’ superior firepower, the terrorists reportedly abandoned the victim and fled into the bush.
Mrs Rufai was thereafter rescued unharmed and safely reunited with her family amid relief and excitement from members of the community.
Military authorities said troops have continued aggressive patrols and domination operations within the general area to forestall further attacks and reassure residents of their safety.
Troops Rescue Kidnapped Woman in Katsina Community
Troops Arrest Suspected Military Impostor in Jos
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 1 Operation Enduring Peace have arrested a suspected impostor who allegedly posed as a personnel of the Nigerian Navy in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Security sources disclosed that the arrest followed a report concerning the activities of a suspicious individual identified as Mohammed Auwal at Grovos Hotel, Apata area of Jos North.
The sources said troops swiftly responded to the intelligence report at about 2:56 p.m. on May 23 and apprehended the suspect at the hotel premises.
Preliminary findings indicated that the suspect allegedly claimed to be a serving naval personnel, prompting security concerns and further scrutiny by the troops.
The suspect is currently in custody while investigations are ongoing to ascertain his identity, motive and possible involvement in other unlawful activities.
Security authorities have continued to warn members of the public against impersonation of military and security personnel, describing such acts as criminal offences capable of undermining public trust and security operations.
Residents were also urged to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious individuals or activities to security agencies for necessary action.
Troops Arrest Suspected Military Impostor in Jos
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
Troops intensify anti-bandit operations in Katsina, neutralise terrorist
Troops Rescue Kidnapped Woman in Katsina Community
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