By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Space
policy expert and Founding General Manager of Angola’s Space Program, Dr.
Zolana Joao, has reiterated the importance of coordination and cooperation
among countries as a critical factor in maximising the economic and strategic
returns of space investments.
In
a statement on regional and global space development on his LinkedIn social
media platform recently, Dr. Joao noted that space programmes deliver greater
and more sustainable outcomes when nations coordinate their efforts rather than
operate in isolation. According to him, experiences across national and
regional space initiatives consistently show that shared infrastructure and
interoperable governance frameworks outperform fragmented and siloed
approaches.
He
explained that coordinated models are particularly effective in areas such as
satellite connectivity, Earth observation and data-driven decision systems,
where scale, interoperability and resilience are essential. By pooling
resources and aligning policies, countries can reduce unnecessary duplication,
improve system reliability and create common platforms that support economic
growth and institutional development.
Dr.
Joao also pointed to regional satellite architectures as practical examples of
how cooperation enables scale and efficiency. Such shared systems, he said,
allow participating countries to optimise investment, strengthen resilience and
accelerate the delivery of services to governments, businesses and citizens.
He
stressed that this principle is not unique to Africa, noting that similar
cooperative approaches are evident globally, from regional satellite systems to
emerging cislunar and deep-space infrastructure initiatives. In all cases,
coordinated governance and shared vision have proven central to long-term
success.
According
to Dr. Joao, space should not be viewed solely as a technological domain but as
a coordination challenge that requires aligned strategies, institutions and
partnerships. When coordination is effectively implemented, he said, it acts as
a growth multiplier, enhancing the impact of space investments and positioning
countries to play more meaningful roles in the global space economy.
