The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Beijing?based Galaxy Space to deploy direct?to?device (D2D) satellite communication nationwide by the end of 2025.

Under the accord, Galaxy Space will integrate a constellation of low?cost, low?Earth?orbit satellites?already proven in Asia and South America?into Nigeria?s telecom grid, allowing ordinary smartphones and laptops to link straight to orbit without relying on terrestrial towers.

The agreement also pledges technology?transfer programmes, joint R&D labs and the co?production of a CubeSat staffed by Nigerian engineers.

?We are leap?frogging the last mile,? NASRDA Director?General Dr Matthew Adepoju said at the signing in Abuja. ?When this network goes live, no village, field research station or emergency team will ever again be outside the coverage map.?

Galaxy Space executive Sam Xiao called Nigeria ?the natural launchpad for Africa,? noting that the firm?s experimental ?Mini?Spider? constellation recently streamed live video between Beijing and Bangkok on an unmodified handset. He added that the Abuja project could become a template for continental rollout.

Analysts say D2D service could erase the country?s stubborn connectivity gap?more than 25 million Nigerians live beyond the reach of 4G signals?while supplying resilient back?up links for banks, hospitals and government platforms.

Unlike Elon Musk?s Starlink, whose direct?to?cell plan is still restricted to six high?income nations, Galaxy Space promises a commercial timeline for Nigeria ?within 18 months,? Dr Adepoju said.

Beyond bandwidth, officials stressed sovereignty and skills. ?Nigeria must stop importing every critical device,? the NASRDA chief declared, announcing that local engineers will undergo Shenzhen?based training this summer and return to assemble ground terminals and, ultimately, satellites.

The partnership dovetails with President Bola Tinubu?s ambition to grow Nigeria into a US $1?trillion digital economy by 2030. It also aligns with NASRDA?s plan to train 1,000 youths annually in space?sector skills and to fly the nation?s first astronauts in the next decade.

Industry observers caution that the venture will require careful spectrum coordination with domestic carriers and rigorous cybersecurity controls. Yet, as one ministry official quipped after the ceremony, ?If we can put Lagos traffic in orbit, we can certainly put broadband in the bush.?

With contracts signed and joint working groups formed, Nigeria now stands to become Africa?s first large?scale test ground for direct?to?device satellite connectivity?shrinking the digital divide. (Channels TV)

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