African Space Agency pushes for greater investment in Africa’s space economy at Africa Forward Summit

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The African Space Agency has called for increased investment and stronger public-private collaboration to accelerate the growth of Africa’s space economy during the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya.

Speaking at the summit’s Business Forum, President of the African Space Council, Tidiane Ouattara, represented the agency at the high-level gathering of political leaders, investors, innovators, and industry stakeholders focused on Africa’s economic transformation.

During discussions on digital infrastructure, aerospace, industrial sovereignty, and competitiveness, Ouattara highlighted the strategic importance of the space sector in supporting agriculture, climate resilience, disaster risk management, urban planning, logistics, connectivity, and digital transformation across the continent.

The summit also focused on strengthening France-Africa partnerships built on equity and shared prosperity. French President Emmanuel Macron announced approximately €23 billion in investments for Africa, including contributions from French public and private institutions as well as African investors. The investments are expected to target sectors including energy transition, artificial intelligence, digital technologies, agriculture, and the maritime economy.

Ouattara used the platform to advocate for increased investment across key pillars of Africa’s space economy, including ground and space infrastructure, talent development, and downstream applications and services. He also encouraged private sector stakeholders and investors to align their activities with Africa’s space policy priorities.

The African Space Agency reaffirmed its ambition to position Africa as a competitive player in the global space economy by strengthening local industrial capacity, innovation, and technological development across the space value chain.