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By Ayo Kehinde
The China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) has threatened to suspend operations of Nigeria’s communications satellite, NigComSat-1R, over an outstanding debt of $11.44 million accumulated over the past seven years.
The company gave Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) 30 days to settle the debt or provide a legally binding guarantee, failing which it warned it would shut down the satellite.
According to The Whistler, the ultimatum was conveyed in a letter addressed to the CEO of NigComSat Limited and copied to President Bola Tinubu.
The letter signed by Liu Lan, CGWIC’s Africa marketing director, also urges NigComSat to inform its customers of the potential inconvenience, stressing that the satellite’s performance can no longer be guaranteed without payment.
According to the letter, “As of December 31, 2025, the total net debt owed by NIGCOMSAT to CGWIC is $11,442,335.89.
This figure represents deductions for the services NIGCOMSAT has provided to us, but the balance remains substantial and unresolved.
Despite our continued provision of essential telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) services from Kashi, China, we have not received payments from NIGCOMSAT Ltd. since 2019.”
The CGWIC stressed that it has deliberately delayed standard debt collection actions over the years to ensure the continuity of Nigeria’s satellite operations.
“For the past seven years, CGWIC has acted with good will to support Nigeria’s satellite operations. However, we are under enormous pressure from internal auditors and subcontractors and can no longer support these operations without remuneration,” the letter adds.
The Chinese company further explained that previous negotiations in 2023 and early 2025, which included partial debt forgiveness, were not honored by NigComSat, prompting the issuance of the 30-day ultimatum.
“If full payment or acceptable collateral is not provided within this 30-day period, CGWIC will suspend service on active transponders of the NIGCOMSAT-1R satellite,” the letter warns.
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