Stakeholders from various sectors have called for urgent and effective collaboration to propel investment in satellite infrastructure and prioritise the integration of space technologies into development blueprints.

The stakeholders made the call in Abuja on Thursday in a communiqué after a three-day 2025 Africa Space Economy Conference and Exhibition.

The ACCI and the National Space Research and Development Agency organised the conference.

The conference had in attendance government officials, private sector players, research institutions, development partners, diplomatic communities, and international organisations.

The participants, however, expressed optimism about Africa’s growing involvement in space ecosystem while also identifying key structural challenges.

According to the communiqué, the challenges include limited access to satellite infrastructure, inadequate funding for innovation, and the need for skilled labour in satellite engineering, data processing, and policy development.

“Stakeholders should prioritise the integration of space technologies into development blueprints, particularly in agriculture, health, urban planning and telecom,” it said.

The stakeholders at the conference recommended that governments, through agencies such as NASRDA, should expand access to satellite infrastructure via different models to stimulate private-sector participation.

They recommended that the African Union and its member states revise their regulatory frameworks and jointly promote research, education, and technology transfer within the continent.

The communiqué also recommended that a national monitoring strategy using space technologies to monitor, enforce compliance, and derive maximum value from natural resources should be developed.

The stakeholders also encouraged NASRDA and ACCI to establish an Emerging Technology Innovation Park, focusing on ICT, robotics, and geospatial applications to support entrepreneurship in the sector.

It added that government institutions should be mandated to adopt satellite data systems for planning, monitoring, and reporting, which would utilise space capabilities.

The stakeholders also recommended that Nigeria should deepen its data partnerships with regional and global institutions to enhance access to cutting-edge space assets and promote knowledge exchange.

It also stated that relevant ministries and national planning offices should have designated officers to coordinate space programmes, aligning implementation with national strategies.

In the areas of military and security, they recommended the deployment of space technologies for training and adoption to enhance national safety and surveillance operations, among other recommendations.

(NAN)