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China Replaces NigcomSat 1 Soon

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Federal government has said that it will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China Great Wall Corporation Company (CGWCC) to replace the damaged Nigeria Communications Satellite 1 (NigComSat1) in March this year.
China Great Wall Corporation Company was the firm that constructed NigComSat-1 which was powered down on November 10, last year due to crisis with the solar panel whose battery powers began to deplete from 42 amps to 33 and finally hitting 18 amps, necessitating its shut down
Alhassan Bako Zaku, minister of Science and Technology disclosed this at the inspection of some projects in National Space research Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja. According to him, under the contractual agreement signed between the Chinese firm and the Federal Government, the replacement will be at no cost to the Nigerian government.
The minister also revealed that arrangement has been concluded to launch Nigeria sat 2 in July 2009. He said: “I am pleased to inform you that the Nigeria Sat 2 is on scheduled. The space craft is presently undergoing Thermo vacuum test at SSTL facilities in U.K. The Space craft would be ready for launch in July 2009”
Zaku while recalling that in 2006, Nigeria signed the contract for the design, building and launch of a mini satellite with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), Guildford Surrey UK which include the establishment of an X, S band ground station, in Abuja disclosed that the new ground station building and the installed 7.3 meters antenna would be commissioned in April 2009.
The minister stressed that the Nigeria Sat 2 would continue to receive attention from the government because of its critical role in national security particularly in the monitoring of existing oil installation and other infrastructure.
According to him the 2.5 m resolution of the Nigeria Sat-2 is designed to help upgrade the present state of most of our cities and other aspect of land reforms of the administration and more importantly its expected role in the development of agriculture in the country and other environmental issue.
Commending on the ongoing project of the Assembly and Integrating Test Centre (AIT) Bako Zaku stressed that when completed and equipped will provide all the required facilities for our scientists/engineers to carry out research towards the building of our satellite here in Nigeria.
“The facility will be capable of handling satellite of up to one tonne. Nigeria will be capable of building satellite for other countries in future most especially other African countries and also competing with other satellite manufacturers all over the world”.
Other projects inspected at the Space Agency include Geo-spatial data bank and Library building which is expected to provide a standard information management system designed to stimulate industrial development, commerce, foreign investment and diversified economy.
“It is a powerful planning tool that will significantly improve the quality, efficiency and technical depth of decision making in the allocation of resources, environmental management, land use, agriculture mineral resources, urban planning,” he said.
According to him, it would also reduced duplication of efforts among agencies, improving quality, ensure easy accessibility to geo-spatial data and reduce cost in the acquisition of geo-spatial information data
Seidu Mohammed, acting director general of NARSDA in his remarks said funding is one of the major challenges facing the agency, and therefore called for the minister’s intervention to ensure adequate funding of the agency to enable it play its role in the development of the nation’s economy.
He said the space application could be used among others to ensure lasting peace and security in the Niger Delta and tackle insurgence of militants attack and illegal bunkering in the area.
According to Mohammed the yet to be launched Nigeria communication Satellite 2 (NigComSat2) will  boost the economy and address illegal fishing on the nation ocean as well as supporting food security in country.


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Dangote Plans to Donate One-Third of Wealth to Charity as Legacy

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Aliko Dangote
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Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, plans to dedicate one-third of his wealth to charity as part of his succession plan, Halima Dangote, his daughter, has revealed.

Dangote Plans to Donate One-Third of Wealth to Charity as Legacy

Aliko Dangote

Halima, a trustee of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, disclosed this in an interview with Bloomberg published on Tuesday, saying the billionaire had secured the support of his family to commit 33 per cent of his estate to philanthropy.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Dangote’s net worth is estimated at $35.1 billion, meaning one-third of his current wealth would be worth about $11.7 billion if his fortune remains at that level.

Halima explained that her father views philanthropy as a key part of his legacy and has incorporated it into the family’s long-term succession plans.

She said Dangote had structured his estate to ensure that charitable giving continues across generations, particularly in areas such as healthcare and education.

“He sort of put all the structure in place whereby we focus a lot on health and education. He actually donated 25 per cent to the foundation. If you look at it, it is what we call in Sharia Code in Islam; it means he has donated 33 per cent of his whole inheritance to his foundation,” she said.

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Halima added that Dangote believes giving back is central to the success of his businesses and the family’s values.

She said the billionaire asked her, her two sisters, and his mother to sign the agreement allowing 33 per cent of his inheritance to be dedicated to humanitarian causes.

The planned donation builds on Dangote’s longstanding philanthropic activities through the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which was established in 1994.

According to Halima, the foundation received an endowment of $1.25 billion about a decade ago and has since received an additional $700 million in funding.

She said about 70 per cent of the foundation’s spending goes to programmes in Nigeria, while 20 per cent supports projects across Africa, with the remaining funds directed to initiatives in other parts of the world.

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The foundation’s interventions focus on healthcare, education, nutrition, and humanitarian support, including partnerships that contributed to the eradication of wild poliovirus in Africa.

Dangote’s planned charitable commitment adds to increasing global attention on billionaire philanthropy.

Although the proposed 33 per cent allocation is below the 50 per cent commitment associated with the Giving Pledge, it would rank among the largest philanthropic commitments announced by an African billionaire.

Earlier this year, Dangote was named among the world’s most influential philanthropists by TIME magazine’s inaugural TIME100 Philanthropy list, recognising the impact of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, which reportedly spends more than ₦50 billion annually on programmes across Africa.

 

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Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission Seeks Collaboration on Power Plants

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Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), has said that there are plans for Nigeria to begin to generate electricity from nuclear sources.

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission Seeks Collaboration on Power Plants

Mr Anthony Godwin Ekedegwa, chief executive, NAEC stated this when he recently visited Mr Umar Yusuf Girei, acting managing director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA),in Abuja.

He was at NIWA’s office to solicit the support of NIWA in achieving the numerous advantages of using nuclear energy technology in the country.

According to him, the partnership of critical stakeholders in Nigeria will position the country well in developing and maintaining its nuclear power plant.

The NAEC chief said Nigeria intends to begin the generation of electricity from nuclear sources instead of fossil-based power plants and hydro-based power plants, stressing that for Nigeria to develop, there is a need for the country to diversify its energy needs.

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In his remarks, Mr Girei assured NAEC of his agency’s readiness to collaborate on the advancement of a nuclear power plant in Nigeria.

He promised the full support of NAEC for the success of a nuclear power plant in the country, saying that as the organisation saddled with the responsibility of regulating and developing Nigeria Inland Waterways, his entity is strategically positioned to play a critical role in the federal government’s quest for sustainable energy through the new technology.

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Pan-Africanism: Why Integration is Non-Negotiable for Africa’s Future

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In a powerful call for continental solidarity, Ralph Mupita, Group CEO of MTN, has asserted that the future of the African continent depends on the dismantling of xenophobic barriers.

Pan-Africanism: Why Integration is Non-Negotiable for Africa’s Future

Speaking at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation (KMF) Winter Seminar, Mupita framed migration as a fundamental characteristic of the African identity, urging South Africa and other nations to embrace integration over exclusion.

He emphasised that the survival of African enterprises depends on a borderless approach to trade and talent. “The digital economy we’re fast moving to knows no borders.” Mupita declared, noting that the mindset of exclusion is an outdated relic that hinders the continent’s ability to compete globally.

He argued that for Africa to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the psychological barriers of xenophobia must be eradicated.

Providing a stark financial justification for this stance, Mupita highlighted MTN’s own operational reality as a blueprint for Pan-African success. “We earn about 80 to 82% of our earnings from outside South Africa,” he revealed, illustrating that the prosperity of South African-born entities is inextricably linked to their success across the rest of the continent. This figure underscores the interdependence of African economies and the danger of isolationist policies.

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Mupita’s stance was strong advocating for unity: “The future of Africa will not be determined by the borders that separate us, but by the economic opportunities that connect us. Governments must set predictable policy and regulations.

Businesses will follow and allocate resources and capital. Together, we can build a continent where opportunity is more evenly shared and prosperity is more widely created.”

Analysts observing the seminar noted that Mupita’s remarks come at a critical juncture where economic volatility often fuels nationalist rhetoric. By tying the fight against xenophobia to the balance sheet, MTN is positioning Pan-Africanism beyond the moral imperative to its function as a business necessity. The CEO stressed that “Migration is part of who we are,” suggesting that the movement of people is the primary engine for the movement of capital and innovation.

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