IN about two years from now, the country's second communications satellite would be launched into the orbit. The first satellite, which is essentially for research, was launched in September last year, via the Russian space exploration technology, for data gathering and other scientific needs.

Though the Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Turner Isoun, who disclosed to The Guardian the nation's readiness to launch the second satellite did not state the actual cost of the communications tool; sources in the ministry put the estimates at less than $100 million. And the sources said it would be self-financing.

According to the Minister, the launch, which would be open, would be another window of opportunity in the country's quest to compete with the international community in the telecommunications sector.

Two weeks ago, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) reportedly ratified the draft bill to be sent to the National Assembly on the issue.

"This will have some far-reaching implications on the nation's communications policy thrust aimed at making it another major tool for economic and social growth," the Minister said while commenting on the project.

On the role government is playing in the public and private partnership initiative, code named e-Government, Isoun maintained that " the launching of communications satellite would make the e-Government's dream realistic."

His words: "The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will be the service providers in the management of the new satellite; the agency is working hard to have this project through."

On the desirability of introducing e-Government at this stage of country's development, Isoun stated that it would help improve the poor rating of the country in the information technology world, given the number of innovation it would bring in all aspects of business in the country.

"There will be a central control facility that will serve all nooks and crannies of the country such that service kiosks and shops, to be addressed as e-Kiosks, will be accessible to the network each time people need to transact any business or even pay taxes or collect pensions.

"We want to de-emphasise the over-concentration that Abuja is currently having by ensuring that most of the reasons why people would want to come to the Federal Capital would be done in their villages," he said.

The Minster added that the ultimate aim of the project was to move the country towards cashless society, which would reduce the incidence of armed robbery attacks, as many banks would settle payment using the e-Government option.

To demonstrate government's total commitment to the project, the former Vice Chancellor said that President Olusegun Obasanjo would flag off the e-Government stakers' conference in Abuja early next month.

The Director-General of NITDA, Professor Gabriel Ajayi, throwing more light on the necessity for a communications satellite, said that it would provide the answer to all the agitation to bring government nearer to the grassroots.

" The introduction of a system that will be all-involving, will no doubt improve the literacy rating of the country and poverty eradication, because many will be self-employed, just like the same way the introduction of Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) has made many unemployed youths find some aspects of the mobile phone services to handle, " Ajayi said.

He explained that since many banks, computer and software companies had indicated interest to finance the project, the fear of bureaucracy affecting its efficiency would not arise.

To prepare the public towards accepting the programme, Ajayi stated that massive computer education was taking place in all segments of the society, including the public service.

A top official of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecommunications regulatory body, said that the answer to most of the problems facing the sector would be solved if the nation had its own satellite rather than relying on foreign countries for transmission of information from the country.

He said that efforts should be made to ensure that tested experts in satellite world were be given the opportunity to have imputes in the project so that the needed byte for the country's communications requirement would be met.

" At least the country stands the advantage of providing services to the neighbouring ones, if we go for a higher-byte satellite, given the population of the country and the number of potential users of the various communications systems," he said.