The government of Ghana is taking steps to establish a national space agency, as part of efforts to position the country to benefit from the growing global space economy. Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, announced this at a media engagement held on October 2, 2026, as part of her first 100 days in office. The proposed agency would coordinate the country's space activities, facilitate research and innovation, and promote public-private partnerships.
The Minister stated that the process towards establishing the agency had begun following Cabinet approval, with work expected to advance on the necessary legislation and institutional framework. The agency's objectives include coordinating Ghana's space activities, enabling the country to participate meaningfully in the global space economy, and addressing the country's development challenges. Dr Agyeman-Rawlings emphasized that the objective is not simply to create another institution, but to establish a capable national institution.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings identified several areas where satellite and geospatial technologies could provide significant benefits, including agriculture, flood forecasting, climate adaptation, environmental monitoring, telecommunications, maritime surveillance, urban planning, and national security. She noted that 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.
The Minister emphasized the importance of using satellite and geospatial information to support policy decisions, stating that the value of a satellite image lies not in the image itself, but in what can be done with the information. She also highlighted environmental protection as a major area where Ghana could deploy space technology, including monitoring deforestation, illegal mining, land degradation, water bodies, wetlands, biodiversity, coastal ecosystems, waste management, air quality, and climate-related risks.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings stressed that human capital would be central to the country's space ambitions, arguing that Ghana's greatest space asset would ultimately be the people capable of designing, building, and operating space technologies and using the resulting data. The government would promote stronger collaboration between universities, research institutions, industry, government agencies, and international partners, and encourage young Ghanaians to pursue careers in areas such as aerospace engineering, satellite engineering, and data science.
The government also intends to support scholarships, exchange programs, mentorship, and other opportunities aimed at developing the next generation of Ghanaian scientists and innovators. Dr Agyeman-Rawlings called for greater private-sector participation in the emerging space economy, identifying potential commercial opportunities in agriculture, insurance, banking and finance, telecommunications, logistics, mining, maritime services, disaster management, urban planning, environmental monitoring, and climate services.
As part of her first 100-day agenda, Dr Agyeman-Rawlings outlined several immediate priorities for the space sector, including strengthening stakeholder engagement, advancing work towards the institutional and legislative framework for the Ghana Space Agency, and deepening partnerships with international space agencies, development partners, research institutions, and the private sector. The government aims to establish direction and momentum for Ghana's broader space agenda.
Key points
- The proposed Ghana Space Agency would coordinate the country's space activities and facilitate research and innovation.
- The agency's establishment is part of efforts to position Ghana to benefit from the growing global space economy.
- The government aims to promote stronger collaboration between universities, research institutions, industry, and government agencies to develop Ghana's space capabilities.