Nana Appiah Acquaye, Managing Editor of Tech Review Africa, will participate in a webinar Tuesday assessing African space sector achievements and setbacks from 2025 as continental institutions position themselves for expanded global cooperation.
The African Space Leadership Institute (ASLI) hosts the virtual discussion titled “Reflection on 2025 Space Year” on January 14, 2026, bringing together professionals from satellite operations, policy research, business development, and science communication. The panel aims to provide balanced assessment of milestones reached during a transformative year that witnessed the African Space Agency’s (AfSA) formal inauguration and strengthened international partnerships across multiple fronts.
Appiah Acquaye’s participation reflects his extensive coverage of Africa’s digital economy and space technology landscape through Tech Review Africa. His reporting has tracked satellite developments, policy frameworks, and technological innovations shaping the continent’s expanding role in global space activities. The journalist previously covered the 2024 International Astronautical Congress in Milan, where African delegations showcased advancing capabilities and secured new collaborative agreements with established space powers.
Joining Appiah Acquaye on Tuesday’s panel are Mariam Saliu, Head of Operations and Business Development at Space in Africa; Nelly Helen Ebruka, Outreach Manager at Spacehubs Africa; Johnmark Ochieng, Communications Officer at Digital Earth Africa; Timothy Kuhamba, Satellite Operator at TRL Space; and Lillian Assefa, Editor in Chief of African Science Stars. The diverse roster represents stakeholders across commercial, governmental, technical, and educational dimensions of Africa’s space ecosystem.
Space in Africa, headquartered in Lagos, maintains the continent’s largest independent database of space activities and publishes authoritative market intelligence serving clients across four continents. The consultancy estimated Africa’s space sector value at 19.49 billion United States dollars in 2021 and tracks investments, satellite launches, and policy developments through its flagship annual reports. Digital Earth Africa operates a continental Earth observation platform providing geospatial data analysis supporting agriculture, water resource management, and environmental monitoring.
The 2025 review arrives at a pivotal moment for African space ambitions. AfSA officially opened its headquarters at Space City in Cairo during April ceremonies attended by representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), and multiple African Union (AU) member states. The agency’s inauguration ended years of preparation following adoption of the African Space Policy and Strategy by AU Heads of State in January 2016.
ASLI cofounder Etim Offiong noted during December’s Addis Space Diplomacy Forum that 2025 represented a turning point characterized by strengthened continental coordination and deeper international engagement. The forum, organized jointly by Ethiopia’s Space Science and Geospatial Institute and the Institute of Foreign Affairs, focused on positioning Addis Ababa as an emerging hub for space diplomacy alongside Cairo’s established infrastructure.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) and McKinsey project the global space economy will reach 1.8 trillion dollars within approximately one decade, with Africa positioned to capture growing shares through satellite communications, Earth observation, navigation services, and astronomy programs. Several African nations launched satellites in 2025, adding to the 41 orbital assets deployed by continental actors since South Africa’s pioneering SunSat 1 mission in 1999.
More than 20 African countries now operate national space agencies or related institutions, representing dramatic expansion from the handful of programs existing two decades earlier. Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, and Morocco lead in satellite manufacturing capabilities and ground infrastructure development, while smaller nations including Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Mauritius pursue targeted programs aligned with specific national priorities.
Tuesday’s webinar addresses policy shifts implemented during 2025, industry growth metrics, institutional capacity building, and emerging opportunities requiring coordinated continental responses. Organizers designed the session for policymakers, industry participants, researchers, students, and interested citizens seeking comprehensive understanding of Africa’s evolving space capabilities.
The African Space Agency operates under mandates covering four thematic priorities established in the continental space strategy. These include Earth observation for agriculture and resource monitoring, satellite communications expanding digital connectivity, navigation and positioning systems supporting transportation and precision services, and astronomy programs advancing scientific knowledge. Education, capacity development, and African space economy growth serve as cross cutting objectives supporting all technical areas.
Space applications deliver tangible benefits addressing continental development challenges. Satellite communications bridge connectivity gaps in remote regions lacking terrestrial fiber infrastructure, with only 22 percent of African households accessing home internet according to World Bank statistics. Earth observation data supports food security monitoring, disaster response coordination, infrastructure development tracking, and natural resource management across territories too vast for conventional ground surveys.
Navigation services enable precision agriculture, transportation logistics, emergency response, and geospatial mapping essential for urban planning and rural development. Astronomy facilities scattered across the continent contribute to global scientific research while inspiring younger generations toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education pursuits that build technical workforces for knowledge intensive industries.
Critics question space investments when roads, hospitals, and schools require urgent funding. Proponents counter that knowledge intensive sectors generate revenue supporting broader infrastructure development while stemming brain drain threatening to deplete Africa’s STEM talent pool. Survey data from 4,500 African respondents aged 18 to 24 found 52 percent considering emigration within coming years, underscoring retention challenges that inspiring space programs help address.
International cooperation expanded throughout 2025 as African delegations engaged with NASA, ESA, China National Space Administration, and emerging space powers across Asia and Latin America. The European Union committed 100 million euros toward the EU Africa Space Programme launched during the NewSpace Africa Conference 2025 in Cairo, which attracted 500 delegates from 65 countries and featured sponsors including Airbus, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and Viasat.
ASLI, founded officially in October 2022, operates as Africa’s first space focused think tank developing capabilities in policy, strategy, law, governance, and leadership. The institute delivers training courses covering African space frameworks, international cooperation mechanisms, institutional governance, and space diplomacy through partnerships with institutions including McGill University’s Institute of Air and Space Law.
Tuesday’s webinar follows December’s Addis forum, which United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) representative André Nonguierma praised for Ethiopia’s advancements while stressing urgency in forging unified African positions within global space governance structures. Participants concluded with commitments deepening collaboration among governments, institutions, and development partners accelerating space diplomacy and unlocking socioeconomic gains.
The session provides free access to participants registering through ASLI’s online platforms, continuing the institute’s mission expanding space literacy across African populations. Previous ASLI initiatives include the Space for Africa Essay Competition challenging students and young professionals to propose space applications supporting AU Agenda 2063 goals, with winners receiving scholarships for specialized training programs.
African space ecosystem development requires sustained investments in education, infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and international partnerships. Tuesday’s retrospective on 2025 progress aims to identify successful models worth replicating, challenges requiring coordinated solutions, and opportunities positioning the continent for expanded influence within the rapidly growing global space economy through coming decades.
