Cabinet approves establishment of Ghana Space Agency

The government has secured Cabinet approval for the establishment of a Ghana Space Agency, with the necessary drafting instructions for the proposed legislation already submitted to the Attorney General's Department.

The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) announced the development, saying the proposed agency would coordinate space-related activities, promote research and innovation, facilitate public-private partnerships and strengthen the country's space infrastructure.

Director of Science, Technology and Innovation at MESTI, Kwamena Essilfie Quaison, disclosed this during the first day of the Africa Geospatial Leadership Forum 2026.

He explained that the agency would address the fragmented manner in which government institutions currently acquire and process satellite data, a practice that often results in duplicated activities and unnecessary expenditure.

According to him, different ministries independently procure and process satellite information, whereas a centralised system would enable the government to acquire satellite imagery once, process it appropriately and make it accessible to various public and private sector users.

“For business, that means lower cost, consistent national baselines and data you can build on with confidence,” he said.

Mr Quaison said the plan was to transform the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute into a fully fledged agency, building on the existing Ghana Space Policy.

He stressed the importance of developing local expertise and technological capacity to reduce Ghana's dependence on foreign models when making decisions concerning its land and other national assets.

“It also means that some of our most important decisions about Ghanaian land and assets rest on models that were not built for Ghana,” he said.

However, he cautioned that the creation of the agency would not automatically translate into economic benefits, emphasising the need to link scientific research with skilled professionals and private sector investment.

“An agency does not, on its own, create value. Value is created when science, talent and enterprise come together,” he said.

Mr Quaison said the success of Ghana's space ambitions would ultimately depend on effective partnerships and the creation of opportunities for local researchers and businesses to convert scientific knowledge into practical solutions.