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The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has stated that extremist organizations active within the nation have shifted from traditional mobile networks to satellite communication technologies.

Dr. Matthew Adepoju, director general of NASRDA, revealed this weekend during an appearance onChannels Television’s Politics Today.

He cautioned that closing down mobile networks during security operations no longer hinders terrorist activities, as criminal organizations now use more advanced satellite communication channels.

“It pains me when state governments block communication on our mobile phones, as the majority are not truly using mobile networks. They are relying on satellite platforms instead. Terrorists are utilizing satellites for communication,” Adepoju stated.

He pointed out that numerous Nigerians have a misconceived understanding of the abilities of the nation’s current satellites, clarifying that they are built for imaging purposes—rather than real-time video monitoring.

“Occasionally, there is a misunderstanding regarding the functions of satellites and their actual capabilities. The ones used by the military and those launched by our agency are imaging devices. They do not capture video footage, and they orbit the Earth,” he stated.

Adepoju stated that Nigeria’s existing satellites—NigeriaSat-1, NigeriaSat-X, and NigeriaSat-2—take an average of three days to return to the same area, which complicates quick reaction to rapidly evolving security dangers.

He mentioned that a new satellite network, approved by President Bola Tinubu, would cut the revisit time to between four and six hours, based on its orbital position.

He further mentioned that the organization intends to regularly increase the fleet by adding four or five more satellites to attain nearly real-time monitoring capabilities.

“If you’re aiming for worldwide coverage, we must send many of them into space. While one is launching, another is arriving. That’s why we opted for a group of four, which the president has given approval for,” he stated.

The head of NASRDA revealed that the organization has entered into a partnership with a U.S. technical collaborator, which manages almost 300 satellites offering sophisticated signal analysis to improve Nigeria’s intelligence operations.

Nevertheless, the platform is still not available as the necessary funds to initiate the partnership have not been provided.