Nigeria signs deal for Synthetic-Aperture Satellite with UK firm

Synthetic-Aperture Satellite: FG signs N49.7 trillion deal with UK firm
FG, UK firm sign $250m satellite deal

Selected Interpretation Results: NIGERIA

Reports reveal that the Federal Government on Friday in Abuja signed a $250 million joint venture/partnership agreement with a United Kingdom-based company, Menasat Gulf Group Plc., to provide Synthetic-Aperture Radar satellites in the country.

Sources say when operational, the SAR satellite technology will be the first in Nigeria, while images generated from it will benefit, particularly, the oil and gas operators, farmers, ocean monitoring, tracking of oil pipelines and also assist the military.

According to Punch.ng the Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, Dr. Seidu Mohammed, while signing the contract, said the SAR technology was necessary for Nigeria because of the challenges the agency have had in acquiring images in, mostly, the southern part of the country.

“We have always had this constraint that even though we are the national  repository for satellite images, we are not able to provide completely all the required images in this country. In the light of that, we have specially taken this opportunity to satisfy the Nigerian market,” he said.

Related/Background

• Menasat Gulf Group Earth Observation Program.pdf
• Nigeria and UK agree to work on space technology cooperation. - News articles - GOV.UK
• "Misguided, despicable, wicked": Nigeria denies ever receiving aids from UK for space program - The ScoopNG - The ScoopNG 
• Nigeria's Space Program: A Rare Glimpse Inside The West African Nation's Satellite Operation 
• spendergast: Many Nations Investing in LEO Micro-SAT Constellations
• Menasat | Gulf Group
  GulfSatellites is conceived as a wholesale producer of very high resolution (1m) SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) in low-earth/low-inclination orbit (16 orbits/day) in low-earth sun-synchronous orbit for delivery of high quality enhanced satellite images and security data that is responsive to critical defense, security and commercial sectors, which provide a special advantage concerning real time imagery to the Middle East, North Africa and South East Asia (MENASA) region. The mission of the Gulf Satellites Program is to own and operate, as “World First Mover”, a premier constellation of very high resolution (1m) SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar). The constellation will consist of 4 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) Satellites.