NIGCOMSAT supports 5,000 startups

 

Managing Director, Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited, Mrs. Jane Egerton-Idehen said the agency has supported 5,000 startups in the country.

Egerton-Idehen made the disclosure at the weekend in her keynote address at the SOYUZNIK Alumni national congress in Abuja.

SOYUZNIK Alumni are made up of old students of Russia and former Soviet Union universities.

NIGCOMSAT boss spoke on the theme: Engineering Nigeria’s Future: From Education to Industrial Power.

She highlighted the urgent need to bridge the gap between knowledge and productivity, between innovation and industrialisation, and most importantly, between potential and impact.

Represented by Engr Ikechukwu Amalu, Acting Director, Technical services said: “In NIGCOMSAT, through our Space Accelerator Programme, now in its third cohort, we have supported over 5,000 startups, nurturing Nigeria’s emerging space and technology ecosystem.

“Our Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) training programmes in Adamawa, Jigawa, Cross River, and Enugu states have equipped young Nigerians with employable digital skills.

“NIGCOMSAT Limited exists to provide reliable satellite infrastructure that powers connectivity across urban, semi-urban, and hard-to-reach communities. Our solutions support government services, security operations, broadcasting, healthcare delivery, education, agriculture, and enterprise connectivity.

“Over the years, we have implemented several impactful projects across the federation,

“Through the 774 Connectivity Project, we have deployed connectivity to 45 Local Government Secretariats, strengthening governance at the grassroots.

“We also delivered broadband connectivity to some States ICT Centres, enabling digital services and capacity building.”

She therefore said the theme, “Engineering Nigeria’s Future: From Education to Industrial Power,” is both timely and profound. It speaks to a national imperative: the urgent need to bridge the gap between knowledge and productivity, between innovation and industrialisation, and most importantly, between potential and impact.

She stressed that education in today’s world goes beyond theory, adding that “it must evolve into a dynamic ecosystem that fosters critical thinking, applied research, digital competence and entrepreneurial innovation.”

She emphasised that “Every great nation begins with a strong educational foundation.

“To truly engineer Nigeria’s future, we must align our educational institutions with the demands of the digital age—where emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, satellite communications, and data science are redefining industries.

Stressing the importance of infrastructure backbone to modern economies, she said  “No nation can achieve industrial power without robust digital infrastructure. In today’s interconnected world, infrastructure is no longer limited to roads and bridges, it includes: Connectivity, Data systems, Cloud platforms and Satellite networks.”

“As a satellite communications company, we recognise that connectivity is the new oxygen of economic growth.”

Egerton-Idehen also warned that innovation does not happen in isolation.

“ It thrives in an ecosystem that promotes collaboration between academia and industry; Investment in research and development; support for startups and technology hubs; policy frameworks that encourage creativity and protect intellectual property,” she added.

She therefore challenged SOYUZNIK Alumni to use their engineering training and global exposure and technical expertise, to drive technology transfer and localization.

In his welcome remarks, Chairman of the Abuja branch of the association, Dr Agu Collins Agu said the congress goes beyond the congress, “It is the rekindling of bonds, the celebration of shared history, and the strengthening of a community that has stood the test of time and distance.”