Call drops: Nigeria lost N20b in 2012

 

Prof. Seidu Mohammed, Director General, National Air Space and Research Development Agency, said on Tuesday that the nation lost a whooping 20 billion to call drops last year.

He explained that the lost could easily have been avoided by the impact of modern communication satellites.


Mohammed added that the agency is intensifying efforts to ensure that Nigeria enjoys greater benefits of modern communication satellites.

The NASRDA boss stated these in Abuja at a lecture organized by the agency to commemorate the launch of the first communication satellite (Syncom2) in July 26, 1963 in United States.

This, according to him, necessitated the first conversation between the First Nigerian Prime Minister, the late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and the then American President, John Kennedy in August 23, 1963.

He said, “The Economic Intelligence Unit in the United States published that in 2012 alone, Nigeria lost N20 billion in call drops that could have been avoided and remedied by modern communication satellites.”

Why stressing that the agency will continue to develop communication satellites to promote economic development of Nigeria, Mohammed hinted that communication satellite industry is a “multibillion dollars” industry that gives high returns on investments.