Senator Ali Ndume says Nigeria does not have the satellite capability required to effectively track terrorists or support real-time military operations.
Speaking on Christmas TV on Thursday, the Senator representing Borno South said that although the country owns five satellites, only two are functioning, and even they cannot provide the level of coverage needed for security missions.
He questioned the system’s capacity, saying if Nigeria’s satellites were effective, the missing senior military officer would have been traced.
According to him, “if the country’s satellites were capable, why are we not able to trace the General that is missing in action? It is because they don’t have an adequate tracking system.”
Ndume stressed that modern conflict demands technology and intelligence.
“I am very interested in technology because this is war fair that the nation is facing, it is not something that we can face with just our bare hands and just shooting guns, we need technology and intelligence,” he said.
He added that acknowledging the gaps is necessary for improvement.
“This ragtag people that are less than 4000 or 5000, terrorising a population of 200 million is shameful,” he said, urging Nigerians to understand the limitations of the country’s defence infrastructure.
Ndume explained that Nigeria lacks satellites capable of providing continuous real-time imaging.
“This satellite operation is orbiting. If you want to have real time, then you need to have more satellites in the out space there… We don’t have that capacity,” he stated.
He recalled how foreign assistance during the Chibok girls’ abduction came largely from countries with strong satellite systems.
“If we had that capacity… when America was giving us information, they had their satellite on us… but in Nigeria’s case, it’s not there,” he said.
He said the Nigerian Air Force currently depends on aerial surveillance from UAVs and a few attack helicopters, which are insufficient without proper satellite coverage.
“We don’t have the satellite images that is required. We only have aerial images,” he reaffirmed.
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Ndume urged the Federal Government to work with developed countries to expand Nigeria’s satellite coverage and improve intelligence gathering.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for directing police personnel attached to VIPs to return to general duty, saying the move would strengthen security deployment nationwide.
However, he warned that numbers alone are not enough, insisting that personnel must be well-equipped, trained, and properly motivated to perform effectively.