Abuja — Nigeria’s Satellite Dream Nears Reality Despite Funding Hurdles – the Senate Chairman Committee on Science and Technology, Senator Iya Abbas, has disclosed that Nigeria is on the verge of launching its own indigenous satellite, a development he described as a “game changer” for national security, forecasting and technological advancement, even as he identified funding constraints as the committee’s biggest setback in 2025.
Speaking during an end-of-year engagement with journalists, Abbas thanked the media for its continued support and reflected on the gains, challenges and prospects of the committee as the year winds down.
“2025 came with a lot of promises and electoral activities, and we thank God for what we have achieved so far,” he said. “In terms of my committee, a lot has happened—the good, the bad and the ugly. But one thing I can confidently say is that we are on the right path, especially with the satellite initiative being driven by the National Space Management Agency.”
According to the senator, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has already approved the deployment of a Nigerian satellite in 2025, and the country is currently awaiting the procurement process and the final technical setup before launch.
“That satellite will be a game changer when it comes to security and national forecasting. It is a major breakthrough for Nigeria in science and technology,” he stated.
Beyond the satellite programme, Abbas revealed that the committee has amended the bill establishing the National Board for Technology Incubation and has secured the creation of 59 technology incubation centres across the country.
“Some states will have two centres and others one. This is expected to fully take off in 2026 and will be a strong driver of innovation, entrepreneurship and youth empowerment,” he noted.
He also confirmed the passage of the long-anticipated bill on local processing of raw materials, which seeks to end the exportation of unprocessed natural resources from Nigeria.
“We have passed the bill at the Senate, and the House of Representatives has also passed it. It is now on the President’s table awaiting assent. Once signed into law, no raw material will be exported from Nigeria without being processed here. This will create massive employment opportunities for our teaming youth and women,” Abbas said.
However, the chairman did not shy away from the hurdles confronting the committee, pointing to inadequate funding and poor release of capital allocations as the major obstacles.
“Funding is the principal challenge — the non-release of the 2024 capital budget and the slow implementation of the 2025 budget. This is not just a committee problem; it is a national problem,” he explained.
Despite the setbacks, he expressed optimism that once funds are released, projects will move swiftly.
“Everything is already in place. Letters of award have been issued, projects have been initiated, and stakeholders are on standby. Once the funds are released in 2026, we will begin to see visible impact across the country,” he assured.
Asked about the status of the recent public hearing on key science and technology bills, Abbas reaffirmed that the raw materials processing bill has completed legislative procedures and only awaits presidential assent.
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“We are only waiting for the President’s signature. Once that is done, it becomes the law of the land,” he concluded.
He thanked Nigerians for their patience and reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to advancing innovation, local content development and sustainable technological growth in the country.
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