NIGCOMSAT Parleys Stakeholders on Autonomy Bill

As part of its desire to join the league of nations that are using satellite technology to fast track economic and social development, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, NIGCOMSAT began the second phase of its strategy to secure autonomy for the company by parleying stakeholders in the ICT industry.

The move is the first of its kind by the body since former President Olusegun Obasanjo established it on April 4, 2006.

 The event, which was hosted by NIGCOMSAT in Lagos had in attendance key players in the industry including the president of the Association of Telecommunications Company of Nigeria, ATCON, Mr. Lanre Ajayi who chaired the occasion, managing director Teledom Group, Mr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, managing director, Kemlinks International, Mr. Shola Taylor and a representative from Olisa Agbakoba’s law firm.

NIGCOMSAT  had send a bill to the House of Representatives for an Act to establish the Nigerian Communications Satellite Corporation empowered to engage in, purchase and otherwise acquire or take over the assets, business company, firm or person and Act in further of all and any business associated and or relating to the satellite communication industry.

The bill, which is a House Bill with number HB 208, has already being passed by the lower house of parliament thereby leaving the Senate as the last hurdle for NIGCOMSAT cross in the actualisation of its dream of autonomy for the company that in December 2011 launch of its satellite called NigComSat 1-R.

According to the managing director of NIGCOMSAT, Mr. Ahmed Rufai, the Bill is intended to translate the federal Government’s vision for the communication satellite project into legislation stating, “the legislative process has therefore streamlined the core provision of the company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association to the duties and powers of the corporation.”

L-R:Managing director,Nigerian Communication Satellite Company Limited,Engr. Ahmed Rufai,President Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria,Mr. Lanre Ajayi and President Nigerian Internet Group during a stakeholders forum on the Nigerian Communications Satellite Bill held in Lagos. 

He told the stakeholders that the Bill recognised NIGCOMSAT Limited as a commercial satellite operators mandated by the Federal Government to commercialise satellite resources as well as the procurement or purchase of in-orbit launch of satellite for related business purposes.

He disclosed that the Bill will distinct NIGCOMSAT from the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) adding that it will streamline NIGCOMSAT to reflect the activities of other international satellite companies like INTELSAT in the USA, Russian Satellite Communications Limited and China Satellite Communications Company Limited.

He revealed that contrary assumption, the Bill will not veer into the statutory functions of the National Broadcasting Commission and the Nigerian Communications Commission in the area of frequency allocation saying “frequency management and allocation remains under the purview of the NCC and the National Frequency Management Council.”

Rufai however noted that NIGCOMSAT has established a Direct-to-Home Transmission platform to assist with the national migration from analogue to digital transmission stressing that it should not be confused with the role NBC as a regulator adding, “as a satellite operator, it expected that NIGCOMSAT Limited be guided by the extant laws of the satellite industry in her activities.”

The NIGCOMSAT while informing the stakeholders that the second House has ensured that the Bill does not confer any powers to the contrary on the satellite company said that the autonomous legal status that it is seeking would increase the confidence of the international community willing to do business with it on a Joint Venture or Public Private Partnership basis.

According to him, NIGCOMSAT is worth N50 billion and as such a legislation is needed to ensure its continuity and sustainability noting that it holds strategic intellectual property capable of revolutionalising domestication of technology in Nigeria and Africa.

Further reasons he listed why the stakeholders should galvanise support for the passage of Bill by the senate and signing by the president include the fact that NIGCOMSAT is a national strategic resource, provider of satellite technology backbone to address broadband challenge and the highly competitive and vibrant global communication satellite industry.

But a cross section of the stakeholders express fear over the negative implication of putting such a relevant company in the hand of lawmakers saying that it may go the way of NITEL.

According to them, they said it could make parliament to begin to run NIGCOMSAT from the floor of the national Assembly.

They said that the planned autonomy that NIGCOMSAT is seeking could also result to a gradual killing of the company saying that government is known not to be good managers of business although some of the stakeholders disagree with that position.

Ericsson, at a recent video conferencing involving Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya, displayed the huge potentials that abound in a networked society, in the area of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) education.