In a ceremony that took place on Sunday, 20 April, Egypt has officially inaugurated the headquarters of the African Space Agency (AfSA) in Cairo.
The event was attended by notable officials including Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, and other high-ranking dignitaries from both national and international space agencies.
The AfSA will be aiming to support sustainable social and economic development across Africa, aligning with the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
It will address critical challenges by collecting and analyzing vital data and focus on areas such as food security, disease prevention, groundwater monitoring, and disaster response.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, expressed pride in Egypt’s role as the host for this continental institution.
He emphasized the importance of the agency in promoting African integration and its potential to unify member states’ positions in international forums, particularly within the United Nations.
The minister also acknowledged Egypt’s commitment to investing in the agency by highlighting a generous contribution of USD 20 million (EGP 1 billion) to support its operations.
The event saw the unveiling of the agency’s new logo, designed by a Cameroonian youth which symbolizes the aspirations of the continent’s younger generation according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs official statement.
Additonally, they discussed The African Space Training Program (ASTP), which aims to cultivate a skilled workforce in space science and technology across Africa.
It focuses on capacity building through training in satellite technology and space exploration to empower local scientists and engineers.
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