Agenda

Africa’s space sector is advancing, yet its capital structure remains distinctive: the majority of demand is still state-backed, revenue cycles are long, and infrastructure risk is significant.

speakers

Former Chief of Nigerian Defence Space Administration

Air Vice Marshal Lanre Ibrahim Oluwatoyin

Standards shape markets, determine who can participate, how products move across borders, and whether systems can integrate seamlessly. For Africa’s emerging space manufacturing and launch ecosystem, the absence of harmonised quality and certification frameworks risks creating parallel systems that limit scale, increase compliance costs, and weaken global competitiveness.

speakers

Former Chief of Nigerian Defence Space Administration

Air Vice Marshal Lanre Ibrahim Oluwatoyin

Leveraging Satellite Data for Socioeconomic Development — A Case Study of Gabon

Africa hosts some of the world’s most strategically located astronomy facilities, yet the rapid expansion of LEO mega-constellations is changing the night sky. Increased satellite traffic introduces light pollution, radio frequency interference, and orbital congestion that threaten to compromise optical and radio observations, data integrity, and long-term research planning.

Africa’s space and deep-tech ambitions hinge on both infrastructure and people. As the continent continues to educate world-class engineers, scientists, and specialists who often leave to build their careers elsewhere, drawn by capital density, accessible research ecosystems, and predictable career pathways, there is a structural threat to the viability of national space programmes and the sustainability of commercial ecosystems