House of Representatives Committee on ICT on Wednesday, called on the Federal Government to address the challenges in NIGCOMSAT in order to boost the digital economy in the country.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Lado Suleja, made the call during the House of Representatives Committee on ICT members’ oversight and familiarisation visit to NIGCOMSAT in Abuja.

” I was amazed and disappointed, in the other hand , from what I have seen here and the kind of negligence, I felt disappointed due to some dilapidating structures.

” If this structures were properly put in place, we can generate trillions of naira and will not have to depend so much on oil.

“We have gone round and we have seen what is on ground and we will do the needful and see how we can put heads together to NIGCOMSAT come to reality,” he said.

Suleja said there was need to urgently address policy and funding of NIGCOMSAT as well as proper intervention.

Earlier, the Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Ms Abimbola Alale, said the company was established to manage critical ICT infrastructure; beginning with NIGCOMSAT 1 launched in 2007 and NIGCOMSAT-1R launched in 2011.

” We have been managing NIGCOMSAT 1R since December 2011, by next month, it would have been eight years in the orbit.

“The satellite, which is geostationary orbit, would have have passed the mid life span,” she said.

Alale lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the new Ministry of Communication and Digital economy.

She said the company could contribute favourably to building the digital economy but needed intervention of the committee and support of Federal Government to revive and reposition for improved performance.

NIGCOMSAT Ltd, is a satellite communication service provider, wholly owned by the Federal Government  aimed at providing secured broadband, broadcast network and ancillary services in Nigeria, Africa and beyond.

The company, incorporated on April 4, 2006, currently manages and operates Nigeria’s communication satellite – NigComSat – 1R.