Telecom
National Security via Satellite: (3 of 3; Concluding)
By Andrew Aroh
Satellite communications can play an important role in national security.
The role of this technology is better understood today on the front lines in particular where the following prefer to have robust and redundant communication links close at hand:
- Law enforcement personnel
- Incident commanders
- First responders
The committee on national security has many priorities but need to begin to examine the role that Satellite technology plays in our economy and Security.
The question is:
Has the National Security Team and its affiliated agencies already use satellite technology and commercial satcom for a range of national security related mission?
The answers are:
- An approach that is more focused and coordinated across agencies and authorities would allow a better and more cost-effect use of satellite across the national security establishment.
- The government should create a forum where its needs and the private sector’s capabilities can be examined on a regular basis.
- Lately, the National Emergency management Agency (NEMA) has became n enthusiastic use of satellite communications.
- In NEMA’s disaster field office operations, Satellite based voice, data and video-including full motion video-can be uplink to remote offices in effect matching a fixed facility NEMA office.
- NEMA is familiar with the cospa-sarsat for voice services and a data only satellite capability is available with virtual private Network tunneling, but this system is very limited in terms of bandwidth and does not provide digitized voice or video.
- NEMA needs to upgrade its communication facilities:
MERS:
This is a Mobile Emergency response support involving transportable C-/Ku/Ka-band system in additional to NEMA’s vehicle mounted systems.
This system allows us the flexibility of supporting more independent locations simultaneously, and greatly reduces response time to distant locations due to the ease of air transport versus driving.
NEMA needs to provide L-band capabilities to its earth stations for up to date requirements.
NEMA needs to acquire several DBS system that will be used to provide network connectivity to co-located disaster support staff other than NEMA, including state and local government personnel along with the support staff from other agencies such as the Environmental protection Agency.
An independent body once conducted a lengthy assessment of the nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) and the possible use of satellite technology emerged as a key component in the list of recommendations. This recommendation has come about because satellite technology:
- Can be used to deliver an EAS message very quickly (within seconds).
- Is very reliable
- Has available high levels of security.
- Does not have the geographical limitations of today’s EAS system.
Satellite delivery of EAS alerts will be the preferred delivery methods within the next few years. What measures are necessary to provide the required facilities?
Satellite facilities currently exist in nearly all radio, television and cable system for the purpose of delivering network feeds. These systems with proper coordination could easily be configured to carry EAS traffic.
Once enough broadcasting facilities are provided, state emergency management agencies and other agencies convert to satellite delivery, the Nigerian communication commission (NCC) will act accordingly.
Professionals lead the way in working with public television stations in development of a hybrid system using satellite and IP data casting technology.
The National Security Team need to evaluate Satellite-based messaging and alert system such as EMNET (Emergency Management Networking) to be deployed all over the 36 states in Nigeria.
- Satellites: Enabling ports and ocean’s offshore links when it comes to protecting seaports and coastal zones, the nation’s maritime administration and safety agency and authorities are routinely in touch via satellite with vessels under way and remote shore-based users using both voice and data links.
- Satellite plays an important role in navigation and the maritime agencies search and rescue operations as well.
- The maritime agency is constantly in search of smaller mobile terminals for ships less than 30 meters in length.
- IP demand-oriented networks is a direction in which the maritime authorities and agencies are trying to head.
- Satellites are a must setting up response centers until more permanent means of communications can be put in place, if any.
- Satellites are a must for remote, disadvantaged users for access to critical information.
- The maritime authorities and agencies need to frequently demonstrate how they can use satellite technology effectively in a variety of emergency response scenarios, sometimes acting as a facilitators in order to assist other agencies.
- Response teams need satellite during emergencies to facilitate other state department and agencies with accessing databases and with the integration of various non-interoperable radio communications.
CREATING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER:
With the growing emphasis at the presidency and elsewhere on a rapid response squad to emergencies and terrorism, projects such as:
- Disaster response and emergency medical services (DREAMS) are meant to explore ways to use Satellite links to meet a number of needs.
- This advanced mobile medical communications and remote treatment concept revolves around the availability anywhere of two-way video, audio and data communications in ambulances, military vehicles and remote hospitals.
- The project involves using Ku-band/Ka-band hub terminals, commissioned and fully operational to plan a series of experiments that will operate between facilities at different hubs.
- Those experiments will operate IP over DVB bi-directionally.
- The end goal is to deliver IP over DVB to the ambulance (mobile) node in order to dramatically reduce the cost, footprint and power requirements of the data receiver on the ambulance. A typical configuration supports fully duplex data rate of 2.048Mbps
- Testing need to be conducted on the ambulance terminal with the hub in various configurations such as 2.048Mbps (E1).
- Another role of Satellite equipped specialized vehicle involves rapid telecom infrastructure restoration at remote locations.
- This may involves hub terminal addiction of the office of Emergency Management and Communications. Purchasing a small slice of dedicated Satellite bandwidth to support the vehicle and subsequently buying a larger slice in coordination with other entities is ideal.
Satellite Technology enabling Airport Emergency Communications:
- A new Satellite equipped mobile command post (MCP) supports an operating team of a dozen people which can remain on scene for as long as a week with Satellite based video conferencing and remote database access, among other things.
- The vehicle is intentionally designed with some generic components to allow responders from various departments including national security team to be able to use the vehicles capabilities.
- Dual Satellite phones are onboard the vehicles in case cellular phone services crashes or degrades.
- Via IP date transmissions over Satellite, MCP personnel can maintain contact with the fixed facility Emergency Operations Center (EOC), beaming back everything including:
- Photos
- Closed-circuit television feeds
- A forward looking infrared camera feed in instances where visibility on scene is impaired by smoke, for example.
LAW ENFORCEMENT NEED TO WARM UP TO SATELLITE:
The Nigerian Law Enforcement community needs to be on the frontline when it comes to national security.
- In large rural border state in particular, the use of Satellite technology is becoming increasingly common and widespread.
- A state police for a start may begin by equipping about 150 vehicles with Satellite delivered data communications. Through this means a state police stands to slash its data cost by 50 percent by ending the routine use of messaging from officers in the field.
- And as for new Satellite based solutions impacting operations for national security agents, the use of remote video feeds are required.
- The Satellite industry in Nigeria is watching and evaluating how to implement those for national security as time progresses.
- Definitely, at a time when an organization is not able to replace equipment at one time, any changes will have to be phased in to improve services.
- 1At the state level, the state patrol can begin to use trucks/vans equipped with two-way Satellite terminals to perform commercial vehicle enforcement tasks.
- The national security teams need to look at replacing its current systems with systems that will allow communications while a vehicle is in motion. The cost of purchasing and maintaining the systems is easily offset by the benefits in terms of improved communications, and the sharing of valuable data with out-of-state personnel.
- At the senate, many experts see the role of Satellite technology as a work in progress that for numerous reasons does not necessarily occupy a top slot on the national committee priority list. While I am sure that satellite technology has a role to play in national security, it is probably not a special role that the senate committee on national security should go out of its way to support just for the sake of going high tech. This is because most of what we need are:
- SENSORS
- Good computer databases
- Such hands-on technologies
- Patience
- Taking full advantage of Satellites to date.
- Taking full advantage of numerous capabilities across a very broad spectrum that could be very helpful.
- National security via satellite should not be a surprise to anyone judging by the events of today. This should be seen as the biggest reorganization in our 61years as a nation as well as the most complex problem requiring a very complex integrated set of solutions that the nation has ever had to face.
- As you can see, there is urgent need for the national security team and other state and local agencies to start using satellite technology more frequently along with other telecom and emergency response assets. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) need to act fast to facilitate these involvement.
- When all is said and done, given the need for rapid access to vast information resources that can be updated in real-time. It is the incident commanders on scene who probably benefit the most by having a varidly of communications link close at hand. In many instances, a fixed mobile Satellite link should be viewed as a necessity, where the emerging global mobile personal communications (GMPCS) by satellite terminals are compulsory for national security.
CONCLUSION:
With the recent occurrences in Nigeria, including manmade and natural disasters, the National Security should be seeking Satellite solutions for its various agency needs for:
- Border patrol
- Command operations
- Control activities
- Emergency response operations
This is because Satellite enables those in a crisis situation or ones that are preventing one, to execute directives as soon as possible.
There are three areas where commercial satellite technology can significantly play a role:
- Communications
- Remote sensing
- Data information services such as weather
- Andrew Aroh is President SSPI Nigeria
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its dedication to fostering an innovative ecosystem that balances regulation with industry growth. The agency is investing in cloud infrastructure, data classification, and AI applications to establish Nigeria as a leading digital hub in Africa.
Kashifu Inuwa, NITDA’s Director General, emphasized this commitment while speaking at the Africa Hyperscalers Digital Infrastructure Outlook 2025. The event gathered industry experts to explore Africa’s role in the expanding global AI-driven infrastructure boom.
In his remarks, Inuwa highlighted NITDA’s dual regulatory framework: rule-based regulation, involving strict compliance guidelines, and non-rule-based regulation, which allows for industry-led innovation with established benchmarks.
“Before we regulate anything, we need to be aware of the landscape, we need to be intelligent, we need to have data and make sense out of that data, we need to be dynamic because technology is fast-changing and we need to develop that agility within the regulatory framework,” Inuwa stated.
He also discussed the Cloud First Policy, introduced in 2019 to discourage excessive reliance on physical data centres. This policy encourages government agencies and private businesses to leverage cloud computing and digital solutions. Initially, businesses were granted waivers to use public cloud infrastructure, but NITDA is now pushing for local data centres to enhance their capabilities.
A major milestone for NITDA was its successful engagement with global hyperscaler providers, including Google Cloud, which pledged to collaborate with local data centres to drive cloud adoption and establish a hyperscaler data centre in Nigeria. This follows a meeting between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Paris, where the President shared his transformative ambition for Nigeria.
To further drive cloud adoption, NITDA is finalizing a framework that will mandate data classification, ensuring that certain data categories remain within Nigeria. This move is expected to attract more cloud service providers and bolster the country’s digital sovereignty.
Emphasizing the importance of AI applications, Inuwa disclosed that NITDA is prioritizing AI to enhance governance, regulation, and service delivery. He asserted that AI can revolutionize governance and business operations by automating processes, enhancing regulatory efficiency, and developing knowledge management systems.
Dr. Nadu Denloye, Co-founder of Telnet Nigeria Limited, also spoke at the event, highlighting Africa’s remarkable digital transformation driven by connectivity advancements, cloud adoption, data centres, AI, and a growing digital-native population. She expressed confidence in crafting solutions to drive Africa’s digital growth.
Other notable panelists included Dr. Ayaotunde Coker, CEO Open Access Data Centres and Chairman of the Africa Data Centres Association; Johnson AgboGbua, CEO of Kasi Cloud; Obinna Isiadinso, Data Centres Global Sector Lead at International Finance Corporation; Kazeem Oladepo, Chief Operating Officer at IHS; and Abibat Kazeem, Commercial Director at Bayobab.
This commitment by NITDA underlines its dedication to advancing Nigeria’s position as a digital leader in Africa through innovative solutions and strategic regulations.
Visa, a global leader in payments, today announced the launch of a new report, ‘Value of Acceptance: Understanding the Digital Payment Landscape in Nigeria,’ which highlights substantial growth potential for digital payments, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In Nigeria, digital payments are proving beneficial for surveyed SMEs, with nearly 90% believing that it boosts revenue and customer footfall. This growing confidence in digital transactions, especially cards, is coupled with a desire for further digitization, with 76% of cash-only SMEs planning to invest in new payment technologies.
The study also reveals that more than half of merchants already prefer digital payments, with 44% reporting lost sales due to customers’ lack of cash and 62% expressing concerns over fraud risk associated with cash.
Nigeria’s Digital Payments Momentum
An overwhelmingly positive outlook on digital payment investment emerged in the report, with 83% of merchants surveyed seeing this as a crucial component for growth, boosting sales, reducing fraud, and enhancing convenience among customers,
“Nigeria’s digital payments landscape is rapidly evolving, with a growing inclination towards digital transactions,” stated Andrew Uaboi, Vice President & Head, Visa West Africa.
“This transformation not only holds the promise of bolstering SMEs prosperity but can also help the economy to thrive.
“At Visa, we look forward to working together with our partners to further drive this transformation, enabling individuals, merchants, and businesses to grow and participate in the digital economy.”
Addressing Challenges to Unlock Full Potential
Unlocking digital payments’ full potential in Nigeria will require confronting key challenges. There is an overarching need to enhance financial literacy and raise awareness about the benefits of digital payments while also incentivizing their usage among customers.
With 76% of cash-only SMEs surveyed intending to get a point-of-sale (POS) device in the near future, an opportunity emerges to accelerate adoption through simplifying onboarding.
In addition, improving infrastructure to counteract concerns around payments failures (42%) can enhance confidence in digitization. To address fraud concerns, educational campaigns are vital to highlighting the robust security features of digital payments, especially the lower fraud risk associated with card payments.
Visa’s established cybersecurity capabilities can be instrumental to building trust across the digital payments landscape in Nigeria by helping to harness confidence across both the SME and consumer segments.
The Broader Value of Digital Payment Acceptance
Digital payments are crucial for Nigerian SMEs for a number of reasons including – boosting revenue through an increasingly cashless customer base, improving customer satisfaction with faster payments, and reducing operational risks by minimizing cash handling. Digital transaction records also provide valuable data that facilitate access to financing and stimulate growth.
While cash is still seen as quick and convenient, cards offer an advantage across expense tracking, spending encouragement, and enhanced security. Meanwhile, mobile and digital wallets offer an innovative and competitive edge. Promoting the adoption of preferred methods, particularly card payments, is crucial for driving growth.
Beyond direct benefits, digital payment adoption drives economic growth and financial inclusion, by connecting the unbanked to the formal financial system and enabling access to savings, credit, and insurance.
Research shows that the transition to the digital economy can generate 1-2% annual GDP growth; a mere 1% increase in card usage generates an average $67 billion annual increase in goods and services consumption across 70 countries and territories.
Visa: A Partner in Driving Digital Payment Adoption
Visa is uniquely positioned to support Nigeria’s transition to a more digital economy. As a trusted advisor and partner, Visa offers a range of capabilities to help governments, financial institutions, businesses, and technology providers enhance their digital payment acceptance maturity.
Visa’s suite of solutions includes programs for specific merchant segments, innovations like Tap to Phone, Contactless Payments and Click to Pay, and resources educating businesses about the benefits of digital payments.
About the Visa Value of Acceptance report
Visa’s ‘Value of Acceptance: Understanding the Digital Payment Landscape in Nigeria’ report, conducted by 4Sight Research & Analytics, examines the current state of digital payment acceptance, exploring both opportunities and challenges. The findings are based on face-to-face interviews with 250 SME owners/managers who are key decision-makers with respect to day-to-day business decisions.
Telecom
Gombe Commissioner of Police Visits GBB Command Centre, Strengthens Collaboration on ICT-Driven Security Solutions
Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Limited welcomed the newly appointed Commissioner of Police for Gombe State, CP Bello Yahaya, on a courtesy visit to its North East Regional Office and Safe City Emergency Command Centre.
This visit underscored the growing synergy between law enforcement and technology-driven solutions in strengthening security operations and fostering digital transformation in the region.
During the visit, CP Bello Yahaya was received by Mr. Ibrahim Bello, Regional Coordinator of GBB North East Regional Office, alongside key members of the GBB team.
The engagement provided a platform to explore strategic collaborations aimed at enhancing security infrastructure, digital transformation, and capacity-building initiatives for the Gombe State Police Command.
The Commissioner was taken on a guided tour of the Safe City Emergency Command Centre, a state-of-the-art facility that forms a critical part of the National Information and Communications Technology Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) project.
The centre plays a pivotal role in improving security architecture across Gombe State and the North East region, leveraging cutting-edge surveillance systems, real-time monitoring tools, and integrated emergency response mechanisms.
With its advanced Unified Communications System, security analytics, and digital emergency response coordination, the Safe City Command Centre provides law enforcement with real-time intelligence, proactive threat detection, and seamless inter-agency collaboration, enabling a more effective and responsive approach to public safety.
CP Bello Yahaya expressed keen interest in leveraging ICT solutions to strengthen policing efforts, emphasizing the importance of technology in modern crime prevention, data-driven policing, and crisis management.
He highlighted the need for enhanced digital transformation, improved connectivity, and expanded training programs to equip officers with the necessary skills to operate effectively in a digitally evolving security landscape.
Galaxy Backbone reaffirmed its commitment to supporting law enforcement agencies, government institutions, and critical stakeholders through innovative ICT solutions, secure cloud infrastructure, and digital training programs.
By providing access to high-speed connectivity, cybersecurity frameworks, and cloud-powered command centres, GBB continues to drive the adoption of smart policing solutions and enhanced security management across Nigeria.
The visit concluded with a shared commitment to deepening engagement between Galaxy Backbone and the Gombe State Police Command, focusing on optimizing digital transformation initiatives for law enforcement efficiency, expanding the scope of ICT-driven surveillance and emergency response systems and strengthening training programs for officers to enhance digital skills and operational effectiveness.
As Nigeria’s leading digital infrastructure provider, Galaxy Backbone continues to shape the future of public safety, digital governance, and cybersecurity, ensuring that law enforcement agencies have access to the best tools to protect lives and property.
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