By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Ghana’s government has begun
steps to transform the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI)
into a fully-fledged Ghana Space Agency following Cabinet approval for the
establishment of the agency.
Minister of Environment,
Science and Technology, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, announced the move during
a media engagement on October 2 as part of her first 100 days in office, saying
work would now advance on the legislation and institutional framework required
to establish the agency.
The proposed Ghana Space
Agency will coordinate the country’s space activities, facilitate research and
innovation, promote public-private partnerships, support the development of
space infrastructure and strengthen international cooperation.
“The objective is not simply
to create another institution,” Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said. “The objective is to
establish a capable national institution” that can coordinate Ghana’s
activities and enable the country to participate meaningfully in the global space
economy.
She said Ghana’s space
programme must focus on practical applications that address national
development challenges rather than treating space technology primarily as a
symbol of technological prestige.
The Minister identified
agriculture, flood forecasting, climate adaptation, environmental monitoring,
telecommunications, maritime surveillance, urban planning and national security
among areas where satellite and geospatial technologies could provide significant
benefits.
She also said Ghana’s
location close to the equator, its position along the Gulf of Guinea and its
relative stability in the West African sub-region presented opportunities for
the country to position itself as a hub for space science, Earth observation,
satellite data, research and innovation.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said
government would seek to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to acquire, manage and
analyse space-based data and convert it into information that can support
policy decisions.
“The value of a satellite
image is not simply the image itself. Its real value lies in what we can do
with the information,” she said.
Environmental protection is
expected to be another major application area, with the Minister identifying
satellite imagery, drones, ground-based observations, geospatial systems and
artificial intelligence as technologies that could be combined to monitor
deforestation, illegal mining, land degradation, water bodies, wetlands,
biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, waste management, air quality and
climate-related risks.
She said the approach could
help Ghana move from reactive environmental management towards more
evidence-based and predictive approaches, with particular emphasis on combating
illegal mining and the degradation of water bodies.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings also
identified human capital as central to Ghana’s space ambitions, saying the
country’s greatest space asset would ultimately be the people capable of
designing, building and operating space technologies and using the resulting
data.
Government, she said, would
promote stronger collaboration among universities, research institutions,
industry, government agencies and international partners.
Young Ghanaians would be
encouraged to pursue careers in aerospace engineering, satellite engineering,
astrophysics, remote sensing, geospatial science, artificial intelligence,
robotics, data science, telecommunications, cybersecurity, space law and policy,
and space entrepreneurship.
The government also intends
to support scholarships, exchange programmes, mentorship and other
opportunities aimed at developing the next generation of Ghanaian scientists
and innovators.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said
Ghana’s space ambitions could not depend solely on government and called for
greater private-sector participation in the emerging space economy.
She identified potential
commercial opportunities in agriculture, insurance, banking and finance,
telecommunications, logistics, mining, maritime services, disaster management,
urban planning, environmental monitoring and climate services.
Under the proposed approach,
government would provide the policy, regulatory and institutional framework,
while academia and research institutions generate knowledge and develop
technologies, with private companies commercialising innovations. Development
partners and international institutions would also be expected to contribute
technical and financial support.
Immediate priorities include
strengthening stakeholder engagement on the implementation of Ghana’s space
policy, advancing work towards the institutional and legislative framework for
the Ghana Space Agency, identifying priority space infrastructure and capacity-development
needs, and deepening partnerships with international space agencies,
development partners, research institutions and the private sector.
Government also intends to
promote the use of satellite and geospatial data for environmental management,
climate resilience and national development, while expanding opportunities for
Ghanaian researchers, engineers, students and entrepreneurs to participate in
space-related programmes.
The government will further
seek to improve coordination among institutions that generate, manage and use
space-related data.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings stressed
that the 100-day programme was intended to establish direction and momentum
rather than complete Ghana’s broader space agenda.
She said Ghana would
strengthen cooperation with countries, international organisations, space
agencies, universities and research institutions as it develops its space
capabilities.
The Minister also linked
Ghana’s space ambitions to the broader African development agenda, including
the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and continental science, technology and
innovation priorities.
“The space economy of the
21st century is increasingly about solving real problems, creating economic
opportunities, and improving lives,” she said.
