Nigeria’s leadership in Africa’s space ecosystem was once again on display as the Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Matthew Olumide Adepoju, played a prominent role at the official inauguration of the African Space Agency (AfSA) held in Cairo, Egypt.
The event, which took place on April 20, 2025, at Egypt’s Space City, marked the formal launch of AfSA’s operational activities and attracted key players in the global space industry including delegations from CubeSpace, Diginove, MatterIntelligence, Viasat, SpaceX, Hawkeye, and Nikkei.
Dr. Adepoju, who represented Nigeria, delivered a keynote address where he highlighted NASRDA’s strategic contributions to the continent’s space advancement and advocated deeper collaboration among African countries. He also featured on a high-level panel titled “Status Updates on African Space Agencies Activities” where he emphasized synergy, innovation, and capacity building as critical components of Africa’s space future.
A major highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the African Space Agency and the European Space Agency, which Dr. Adepoju witnessed. He also held bilateral meetings and engaged in business-to-business (B2B) sessions with international stakeholders aimed at building strong and sustainable global partnerships.
As part of ongoing engagements, Dr. Adepoju held strategic meetings with HawkEye and PlanS. The discussions with HawkEye focused on collaboration opportunities and innovation in Africa’s space sector, while the meeting with PlanS explored joint initiatives to empower the continent’s space capabilities. These talks signal a promising pathway for cooperative projects that can drive Africa’s technological growth.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Dr. Adepoju stated:
“Today marks a new era in African space development. We’re excited to collaborate with global partners and drive innovation in space technology.”
He also announced NASRDA’s upcoming African Space Economy Conference, an initiative that will bring together investors, policymakers, scientists, and innovators to shape the future of Africa’s space economy.
Nigeria’s strong participation at the AfSA inauguration reinforces its commitment to shaping the continent’s technological trajectory through visionary leadership and meaningful collaboration.
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