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Newspace Africa Conference 2023: Africa ready to leap forward and catch up on space, ESTI Commissioner tells

The NewSpace Africa Conference kicked off on Tuesday, 25 April, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The Conference is the second edition of the mega convergence that mobilizes stakeholders in space across Africa and beyond the continent. It is a forum to tap into opportunities available for Africa to leverage its socio-economic development through space technology, services and applicationsLast update 24/01/2024

AU Commissioner and Ivory Coast Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research


In his intervention during the opening ceremony, the Acting Director of Education Sciences Technology and Innovation (ESTI) at the AUC, M Hambani Masheleni, noted that Africa is on the move and that Agenda 2063 has recognized the importance of space in the continent's development. According to him, the new African Space Agency (AfSA) will be a framework to implement the African Space Strategy and Policy goals.


Mr Masheleni, Acting Director of ESTI at the AUC


The AU, Mr. Masheleni disclosed, wants the African private sector to be actively contributing to space development. To this extent, the African Union (AU) bets on international partnerships, like the ones in place with the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and the French Space Agency (CNES), with which it recently signed a agreement (MoU).

Giving an update on the status of the African Space Agency (AfSA), the Coordinator of the African Union European Union Joint Programme called Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES), and Africa, Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, said the Africa has a mandate to coordinate but not replace the national space agencies. He argued that AfSA is a melting pot for African space agencies to support the exchange of technological know-how on joint programmes.


Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, GMES and Africa Coordinator and AU Space Expert


The AU Commissioner for ESTI, H.E Prof. Mohamed Belhocine, is optimistic about the future of space on the continent. He said the African space program is one of the flagships of the African Agenda 2063. Commissioner Belhocine posited that Africa has the human resources and capacity to catch up in the area of space, including by using technological leaps, to make economic and human development on the continent fruitful.


AU Commissioner for ESTI, H.E Prof. Mohamed Belhocine


The Newspace Conference is hosted by the government of Cote d'Ivoire which has a newly established space programme. The country's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Adama Diawara, stated that despite limited resources, there is a strong imperative for African countries to have space agencies. He therefore opined that policy communication of the states must adapt, as soon as possible, to this reality.


Ivory Coast Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Adama Diawara


Minister Diawara observed that space industry is changing fast with innovative players and new users to conquer. To him, the African Space Policy and Strategy must be one of the drivers of African space agencies, who need to endorse the blueprint as soon as possible and use it to create national agencies. He stressed the importance of aligning the African Space Strategy with the recommendations of the STISA (Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024)

Minister Diawara posited that it is up to the states to bring this African Space Policy and Strategy to life. The Minister encouraged the representatives of the participating countries to own up the AU project, share experiences and build bilateral and multinational partnerships in setting up a space agency adapted to Africa.

According to Diawara, African space agencies must be windows of the private sector and dialogue must focus on the national and continental ecosystem. Africa, he maintained, must take its part in the constellation revolution to provide opportunities.

The Minister underlined the fact that Space is also a military issue. It is therefore important to have a partnership between defence and development. He concluded by saying that Space is a common good of humanity, that all states must agree on its management and occupation, and that Africa has its place in these discussions.

The Newspace Conference features several discussion, panel, and networking sessions. These allow participants to exchange ideas and strategize on how to generate investment and funding to prepare a vibrant African commercial market for space. The conference ends on Friday, 28 April.


Some Links

Space In Africa

African Union


European Union


Articles and movies on NSAC 2023 published by online medias

  • 26/04/2023, 2cmInfo, Côte d'Ivoire : Afrique et espace : La conférence Newspace Africa 2023 a démarré, http://2cminfo.net/
  • 2904/2023, Le Monde Actuel, 2e édition de la Conférence – NewSpace Africa Abidjan abrite le rendez-vous du 25 au 28 avril, https://www.lemondeactuel.com/


     (GMES and Africa PMU/AF)





















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Location: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

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