Engineer Tukur Mohammed Lawal Funtua became the Managing Director of the Nigeria Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT). Funtua spoke with journalists highlighting how he met NIGCOMSAT, challenges and plan. Excerpts:
Congratulations on your appointment. As a private sector player, how do you see your appointment at NIGCOMSAT ltd and the public sector in general?
You are welcome, my brother. Government activities differ from those in the private sector. I give thanks to God for this new position. In the private sector, official engagements are seamless; however, this is not the case with government enterprise. The first day I arrived at NIGCOMSAT Ltd, I encountered enthusiastic, hardworking employees who just needed a little push from the private sector experience and align same with what is obtainable public sector to succeed.
From my understanding when l came here, NIGCOMSAT Ltd. has been operating on a private-government principle. It wasn’t the normal core civil service style but a mix of government and private sector principles. It has however, been operating with some elements the private sector principles.
Therefore, it wasn`t operating as full fledge government sector working principle. As a result, I can confidently assert that NIGCOMSAT Ltd. has been largely driven as private sector-government principle.
What are the things you met on ground at NIGCOMSAT and how do you intend in improving on them?
As l earlier mentioned, when l came to NIGCOMSSAT Ltd, l met an excellent workforce who is prepared and ready to work. Everyone knows what to do and when to do it. Just a little push to incline with the standards as the case is in the private sector. So with little efforts, NIGCOMSAT will be where we all want it to be. NIGCOMSAT Ltd is a goldmine and we must put all hands on deck to give it the push.
However, that does not deny the fact that there are no challenges in the company. Like any other company, either private or government, operations in such company are humans and machines and there are bound to have challenges. In the case of NIGCOMSAT Ltd, the human resources are wonderful.
For the machines, we are trying to fix those that need to be fixed. They are machines and with the wear and tear of machines, we are bound to experience failure at some point in time. So we are fixing the broken ones.
NIGCOMSAT is a critical government infrastructure, with an obvious gap in the telecom sector, how ready are you to take on this gap, especially your company’s contribution to achieving the broadband plan?
NIGCOMSAT Ltd is one of the critical government infrastructures. It indicates that the government made a deliberate investment in the communication satellite industry to guarantee that it met certain predetermined objectives of enhancing governance.
The Nigerian Broadband Policy specifies that NIGCOMSAT`s role in 2025 will be to make sure that it serves the underserved. We are to deploy communications satellite services in those regions where fibre optics cannot serve. Our role as a satellite company is to complement one another.
Because of the topography in Nigeria, those who live in underprivileged areas can also feel the presence of governance. We have hilly and undulating landscape in the country, a riverine area, and other challenging areas. The satellite will beam it signals to serve the people.
What are your plans as the new helmsman of NIGCOMSAT Ltd?
With the help of all employees, I intend to grow NIGCOMSAT Ltd. from where it is today to a position where it will be a significant participant among its peers internationally. NIGCOMSAT Ltd. is a gold mine, as I previously stated, and until we grasp that we are on a goldmine, we will not fully appreciate the possibilities of this business.
Therefore, I intend to leave NIGCOMSAT Ltd better than I found it, Insha-Allah.
Funding is a major headache for many government agencies. Does this apply to NIGCOMSAT Ltd? If yes, what are your plans for resolving this?
In any organisational environment, funding is always in short supply, but that is especially true for for-profit businesses like NIGCOMSAT Ltd. that wish to expand. Money can be used for a huge variety of purposes, yet economists would argue that it is a scarce resource. Without a doubt, we would do more if we had more money.
Regarding how I intend to address the issue of limited resources, I will tell you that my staff and I will work arduously to generate income for the company.
Have you been able to meet with industry players since your assumption?
Well not yet but there are plans to do that, I have to look at what is on the ground before going out. If all the issues on the ground are attended to, then will begin to go out and discuss with industry players from informed opinion.
What are the plans towards the launch of NigComSat-2 and how many more years for NigComSat-1 to end of life?
Plans to launch the second satellite were already in place before I arrived. We are moving forward to make sure it is completed as quickly as possible. This is because we are not relying on anything to chance in any way. NIGCOMSAT Ltd must make sure that the satellite remains operational, useful, and in service to the people.
The current satellite was put into orbit on December 19, 2011, and it is to last for 15 years. So far, from 2011 to now, you can see that it has three more years of active life. But take note that a satellite`s end of life is not necessarily it is ready for the graveyard, no. It has a few more years to serve its customers before being forced to the graveyard.
Where do you want to see NIGCOMSAT in the next four years?
As I said earlier, I have four years to serve this company and I hope that over those four years, I will be able to give my best and make it better than when I met it.