Authors : Anthony M. Akagwu; Stephen E Ali; Israel Dickson; Jehu W. Zakpo; Aisha Yakubu; C. O. Chime; Marcus Olaide Awobotu; Toro Sani Safwan

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4af8zrt6

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4u3sc8k7

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jul1651

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : E-governance has improved public service delivery through the integration of internet capabilities to Critical National Infrastructures (CNI). Nations that are at a disadvantage due to a low internet penetration struggle to deliver on government’s pertinent responsibilities of national security and sovereignty preservation. Recent commercialization of out of space activities has seen players such as Space X and Amazon deploy Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites in a bid to provide an alternative accessibility to regions that is traditionally unreachable to present terrestrial infrastructure. LEO infrastructure provides improved bandwidth, regional penetration and reduced latency. This paper designed a framework for the implementation and deployment of LEO internet satellite to be led by National Space and Research Development Agency (NASRDA) to accommodate the Federal Government’s needs in the area of secured communication and to ensure operational continuity of connected Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). The paper identified relevant stakeholders to participate in the deployment of LEO internet satellite infrastructure (NIGCOMSAT, NCC, Galaxy Backbone and ONSA) while NASRDA plays a technical and strategic implementation role. Furthermore, the paper itemized the technical implementation to be adopted, a three phased implementation strategy roadmap to guide the implementation government and security frameworks that shapes the development and deployment of the framework. Finally, the paper summarized some of the challenges of existing infrastructure and how the deployment of LEO internet satellite can effectively supplement the gains of the terrestrial infrastructure in place.

Keywords : Low Earth Orbit satellite, Cyber security and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

References :

1. Adeyemo, A. B. (2011). E-government implementation in Nigeria: An assessment of Nigeria's global e-gov ranking . Journal of internet and information system , 11-19.
2. Amin, M. (2000). National Infrastructures as Complex Interactive Networks . Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) , 263-286.
3. Banisakher, M., Omar, M., & Clare , W. (2019). Critical Infrastructure - Perspectives on the Role of Government in Cybersecurity . Journal of Computer Sciences and Applications, 37-42.
4. Berthoud, L., Hills, R., Bacon, A., Havouzaris-Waller, M., Hayward Kieran, Gayrard, J.-D., . . . Combdlles, L. (2022). Are Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellites a solution for tomorrow’s telecommunication needs? CEAS Space Journal, 609-623.
5. Curran, K., & Poland, K. (2011). Broadband Penetration in Countries Around the World. International Journal of E-Business Development (IJED), 34-37.
6. Ebipadou, A. F., & Ebiegberi, A. D. (2024). Digital Communication And Public Service Delivery: An Examination Of The Challenges And Opportunities In Contemporary Nigeria. International Journal of Academic and Applied Research (IJAAR), 177-183 .
7. Farrea, K. A., Baig, Z., Doss, R., & Liu, D. (2025). Zero trust-based authentication for Inter-Satellite Links in NextGen Low Earth Orbit networks. Ad Hoc Networks.
8. Imam, A. (2024). Poor Internet Connectivity and its Implications on Nigeria's e-Governance Trajectory. SSRN.
9. International Telecommunication Union (ITU). (2026, June 3). National Strategies. Retrieved from International Telecommunication Union (ITU): https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Cybersecurity/Pages/cybersecurity-national-strategies.aspx
10. Laursen, L. (2025). In Nigeria, Why Isn't Broadband Everywhere?: It Has 8 Undersea Cables, but Fiber-Optic Networks Miss Half the Country. IEEE Spectrum.
11. Lawal , L. S., Gidari-Wudil, T. S., & Adedeji, F. A. (2025). Implementation of Telecommunication Corridor on Infrastructure Roll out (Rail, Road, Power Lines and Inland Waterways) to Fast Track Broadband Penetration and Nation-Wide Surveillance. International Journal of Information and Communication Sciences, 23-33.
12. Lin, X., Cioni, S., Charbit, G., Chuberre, N., Hellesten, S., & Boutillon, J.-F. (2021). On the Path to 6G: Embracing the Next Wave of Low Earth Orbit Satellite Access. IEEE Communications Magazine.
13. Osoro, O. B., & Oughton, E. J. (2021). A Techno-Economic Framework for Satellite Networks Applied to Low Earth Orbit Constellations: Assessing Starlink, OneWeb and Kuiper. IEEE Access.
14. Portillo, I. D., Cameron, B. G., & Crawley, E. F. (2019). A technical comparison of three low earth orbit satellite constellation systems to provide global broadband. Acta Astronautica, 123-135.

15. Salim, S., Moustafa, N., & Reisslein, M. (2025). Cybersecurity of Satellite Communications Systems: A Comprehensive Survey of the Space, Ground, and Links Segments. IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials, 372 - 425.
16. Starlink. (2026, 06 15). Starlink Pricing. Retrieved from Starlink: https://starlink.com/
17. Su, Y., Liu, Y., Zhou, Y., Yuan, J., Cao, H., & Shi, J. (2019). Broadband LEO Satellite Communications: Architectures and Key Technologies. IEEE Wireless Communications.
18. Verma, A. K. (2025). Cybersecurity in Satellite Communication Networks: Key Threats and Neutralization Measures. IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society.
19. Zamacola, S. M., Leyva-Mayorga, I., Martinez, R., Osario, R., & Popovski, P. (2026). Demand- and Topology-Aware Resource Allocation in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) With Multi-Satellite Beam Hopping. IEEE Transactions on Communication.