The Minister of Communication Technology, Dr Omobola Johnson, on Thursday said that plans were in place to sell the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NigComSat).
Johnson made this disclosure in Lagos during the 4th Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry Stakeholders Forum, organised by the ministry.
She said, hopefully, NigComSat would have been privatised by 2018 and it would be done in such a way that would be viable.
According to her, the satellite service provider company is going into partnership with other satellite owners to x-ray avenues to increase the viability of NigComSat.
She also said NigComSat-1R, the country's satellite launched in 2011, had increased its commercial value through the generation of revenue for government.
''The revenue was generated through the leasing of five KU transponders, C-Band, broadband sale and leasing of Direct To Home (DTH) platform to private strategic partner.
''Ongoing projects are being designed that will increase revenues from this government asset. The lease of its KA transponders is being planned for first quarter of 2015.''
She said that in connecting Nigerians, NigComSat had complemented the fiber/terrestrial networks in Nigeria for the deployment of broadband networks in the rural areas and other sectors.
According to her, it includes sectors like security, health, education, agriculture and other applications with wide ranging geopolitical distribution.
She said that NigComSat would also be a key partner during the upcoming analogue to digital, adding that TV channel broadcast migration project would also depend on partners like NigComSat.
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