Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede has directed the Defence Space Administration to extend its space-based intelligence support to military operations in the North-West and North-Central.
The directive covers Operation Fansan Yamma in the North-West and Operation Savannah Shield in the North-Central. Oluyede said the agency was already providing support to Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East.
He gave the instruction at the Defence Space Administration’s anniversary celebration in Abuja on Friday, October 9. Agency spokesperson Funmilayo Bamisaye also set out the directive in a statement issued on Sunday.
The defence chief said the expansion was intended to improve troops’ access to intelligence and their awareness of developments in areas of operation. He called for more locally developed technology, research and training, alongside cooperation with universities, industry and national agencies.
Oluyede said military systems should be tested and refined to meet operational needs while remaining compatible with existing equipment. He also welcomed the start of academic activities at the Defence Space School and praised the observation outpost at the headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai for bringing intelligence support closer to commanders.
The head of the Defence Space Administration, Major General Philip Ilodibia, said the agency’s performance should be judged by the operational problems it solved and the decisions it enabled, not only by the capabilities it acquired.
Ilodibia called for closer cooperation among the Army, Navy and Air Force. He also sought continued collaboration with the National Space Research and Development Agency and Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited to develop Nigeria’s own space capabilities.
Former Chief of Defence Staff General Gabriel Olonisakin said space and cyberspace required sustained investment. Citing the Russia-Ukraine war, he pointed to the use of satellite imagery to track troop movements and attacks on satellite communications, and urged strategic partnerships to help build the required capabilities.
Sources: Punch, Premium Times
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