Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) was a company created in 2006, and kind of a big deal. It was, after all, created to manage Africa’s first ever satellite (which was developed and built by China) once it was launched into orbit. NigComSat-1, launched in May of 2007, was this satellite and in November of 2008, it failed due to a problem within its solar power system.
Its predecessor, NigComSat-1R, was developed in 2009, and launched into orbit in December of 2011. Improvements were made to its design, hoping to avoid the same fate as its predecessor. In a paper recently released by African professor Foluso Ladeinde, the hopes and dreams for what this satellite can provide to their country are laid out. Ladeinde’s biggest dream: bring GPS technology of various forms to Nigeria, and train Nigerians themselves to create useful technology to end their reliance on other countries.
Ladeinde begins by explaining how GPS works, pointing out that the system is owned by the U.S., and was created by the Department of Defense. Then, he delves into all of the useful things GPS can bring Africa. “Ordinary folks all over the world are using GPS technology to perform everyday tasks faster, more easily, and with much greater accuracy than ever before. It also makes air, land, and sea navigation much safer.”
What could more precise GPS technology bring to Africa? Ladeinde describes the basic uses we are so accustomed to here in the U.S., such as locating stolen vehicles, emergency response systems, road sensors, and fleet tracking, and also mentions toll collection systems and use by car rental companies to keep tabs on their vehicles. Those who explore Africa’s jungles and deserts will also find accurate GPS information quite useful.
Africa’s military could benefit from an upgrade to GPS as well, with guided missiles and drones needing accurate data to carry out a successful mission. Police and other emergency personnel could also benefit, as well as farmers, surveyors, and map makers.
It’s hard to imagine there are countries out there who do not have access to all this amazing technology can bring. GPS is all around us whether we know it or not here in the U.S., and it brings so much to our fast paced society. One thing that could help Nigeria achieve their goals is a quality college system. Ladeinde said, “It should be every Nigerian’s prayer that one day our institutions of higher learning will be able to educate competitive graduates who can develop and deploy important technologies for the world to use.”
