Nigeria targets $1bn space investment as Africa pushes space sovereignty

Nigeria is seeking more than $1 billion in investment to expand its space industry as African leaders push for greater technological sovereignty, stronger control of space resources and reduced dependence on foreign satellite capabilities. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, minister of Innovation, Science and Technology of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who represented Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president of Nigeria, disclosed the investment potential to BusinessDay, at the International Space Summit in Paris, where he said Nigeria was seeking global investors and strategic partners to expand its space capabilities. Read also: NERC mandates DisCos to remit up to 60% of Capex for infrastructure upgrades Udeh said Nigeria’s space industry could absorb more than $1 billion in investment, stressing that the funding would not have to come from government alone. “Space industry in Nigeria can absorb over a billion US dollars. It does not mean that this investment would have to be made by government alone,” the minister asserted. He said the government was using the Paris summit to engage private-sector investors, governments and technology companies interested in Africa’s space market, with potential partners already showing interest from India, China, France and the United States. The minister said Nigeria wanted to move beyond depending on foreign technologies and instead build capabilities that could generate commercial returns while improving security, livelihoods and other parts of the economy that increasingly depend on space services. “We shouldn’t be doing catch-up. We should be part of those leading in this very important aspect of development,” he said. The investment push comes as the Federal Executive Council has approved a programme for six new satellites, comprising two communications satellites and four Earth-observation satellites, according to the minister. The government has also approved the Centre for Space Transport and Propulsion (CSTP), which Udeh said would support an end-to-end programme covering research, development and the launch of Nigerian-built rockets. The ambition reflects a wider shift in Africa’s approach to space, with leaders at the Paris summit arguing that the continent cannot remain dependent on foreign countries for critical satellite data, communications, territorial monitoring and other strategic space services. Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda, warned that Africa could lose access to critical space resources as competition for spectrum and orbital resources intensifies. He said Africa needed stronger collective action to protect its interests as the global space economy expands, driven by lower costs, new technologies and growing private-sector participation. “Africa stands to be a full participant in this emerging space economy, not only as a user of space capabilities, but also as a contributor to science, research and innovation,” Kagame said. He argued that Africa’s young and increasingly connected population created opportunities to build businesses and develop new industries around space technology, while calling for technology transfer and greater access to modern technologies. Kagame also warned against reproducing existing global inequalities in space, saying developing countries needed a meaningful voice in decisions affecting orbital and spectrum resources. His comments echoed concerns from Djibouti, which warned that Africa currently occupies only a small share of global space activity and the use of orbital and spectrum resources. Representing Djibouti’s president Ismail Omar Guelleh, minister of higher education and research Nabil Mohamed Ahmed said the country’s space programme was designed not simply to acquire satellites but to develop local expertise. Djibouti launched its first two nanosatellites after training 10 young Djiboutians in space systems through cooperation with the Montpellier University Space Centre. Ahmed said the rapid growth of satellite constellations and the number of objects in orbit meant Africa needed to protect its legitimate access to spectrum and orbital resources. “Africa is not asking for privileges. It is simply asking that its legitimate right be preserved for the future and to prevent an injustice of tomorrow,” he said. For Nigeria, the push is increasingly tied to both economic opportunity and national security. Udeh said Nigeria was already deploying space technology for security and defence, although he declined to disclose sensitive details. He said the country was also deploying signal analytics and working to expand its space capabilities for national security. “Space technology is just an aspect of what could be leveraged to address insecurity in the country and improve our defence,” he said. The minister said the opportunity was not limited to Nigeria because the country was already a major player in Africa’s space industry and other African countries depended on Nigerian space capabilities. “This is not just for our consumption, but also for the use of other countries in Africa that depend on us,” he said. That regional role is also behind Nigeria’s plan to host Africa Space Economy, Conference and Exhibition in Abuja from November 23 to 27, 2026. Udeh said more than 50 chief executives of African space agencies had indicated interest in attending the summit, alongside ministers responsible for innovation, science and technology and related sectors. The objective is to move African space cooperation from declarations to joint projects that countries can develop and benefit from collectively, he said, adding that, “This is not a time we can afford to fragment. It is a time to collaborate and achieve what we can achieve as a whole, not achieve as parts.” Félix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, similarly called for deeper African integration in space, arguing that the continent needed to develop its own capabilities rather than depend entirely on external systems. Tshisekedi said space had moved from being a distant technological frontier to an essential platform for Africa’s development, security and sovereignty. He proposed the creation of a space partnership for the Congo Basin, aimed at using satellite data and space technology to protect the region’s vast ecological resources. The DRC also proposed the creation of a Congo Basin Space Observatory in Brazzaville, with a regional and cross-border mandate in partnership with the African Space Agency. Tshisekedi said countries responsible for protecting the Congo Basin needed access to space data and the capacity to process it, alongside trained scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs. He also proposed using space technology for conflict prevention, territorial monitoring and border management, arguing that an Africa dependent on foreign systems to observe its territory, manage data or anticipate crises would remain vulnerable. “An Africa that depends entirely on others to observe its territory, communicate, manage its data or anticipate its crises remains a vulnerable Africa,” Tshisekedi said. The push for greater African space sovereignty comes against the backdrop of a wider global race for strategic autonomy in space. European leaders at the Paris summit are themselves seeking to reduce dependence on external satellite and launch systems, while coordinating national programmes to compete more effectively with the United States and China. The International Space Summit, held in Paris on September 9 and 10, brought together governments, space agencies, companies, scientists and other stakeholders to discuss the economics, security, technology and regulation of the rapidly changing space sector. France said 90 countries and international organisations were represented, with nearly 1,100 space companies attending. Read also: Microsoft employees reveal AI usage costs as internal spreadsheet tracks workplace spending For Nigeria, however, the central question is increasingly how to convert its position as one of Africa’s established space players into a commercially viable industry. Udeh said the country’s planned investments should not be viewed only as government spending, but as an opportunity to build a market capable of generating revenue while supporting security, communications, agriculture, transportation and other sectors. “We understand that we have a market for space technology. So it is not just investing in it as a social good, but also what will generate revenue, improve on livelihood, security and technology generally,” he said. The strategy places Nigeria’s planned six-satellite programme, rocket development and proposed $1 billion-plus investment opportunity within the wider African push to build indigenous space capabilities and ensure that the continent has a stronger voice in determining how the global space economy develops. Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date Open In Whatsapp