ABUJA — Nigeria’s telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure is facing a major crisis as the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) issued a 30-day ultimatum to shut down the NigComSat-1R satellite over an unpaid debt of $11.44 million.
The Chinese firm warned that if the outstanding payment is not settled within a month, the country risks a total suspension of services on the satellite’s active transponders, a move that could disrupt military communications, television broadcasting, and internet services across the federation.
A Seven-Year Debt Pile
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the Managing Director of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) and copied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, CGWIC revealed that the debt has been accumulating since 2019.
The letter, signed by Liu Lan, Director of Marketing for Africa at CGWIC, stated that as of December 31, 2025, the total outstanding balance stood at precisely $11,442,335.89. Despite providing critical Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) services from its facility in Kashi, China, the company claims it hasn’t received a single payment in seven years.
“Goodwill Has Run Out”
The Chinese corporation noted that while it had delayed taking strict recovery measures out of “goodwill” to ensure Nigeria’s satellite remained operational, internal pressure from auditors and subcontractors has made further patience impossible.
“The performance of the satellite can no longer be guaranteed if this issue remains unresolved,” the firm warned, advising NigComSat to immediately notify its customers of the impending service disruption.
The 2019 Rescue Mission
This isn’t the first time the Chinese have stepped in to save NigComSat-1R. Investigations show that in 2019, CGWIC helped rescue the satellite from a potential collapse in orbit before entering into the management agreement that NigComSat has reportedly defaulted on.
NigComSat Reacts
In a brief response, Stephen Kwande, the Head of Corporate Communications at NigComSat, acknowledged the development. He stated that the agency is currently reviewing the situation and would issue an official statement in due course.
The timing of this ultimatum is particularly delicate, as the NigComSat-1R—launched in 2011 with a 15-year lifespan—is already approaching its decommissioning phase in late 2026. A forced shutdown now would leave Nigeria without a functional sovereign satellite just as the 2027 election cycle begins to heat up.
