Côte d’Ivoire recently officially joined the Artemis Accords, an international framework initiated by NASA to promote peaceful, sustainable and transparent civil space exploration.
The signing of these accords, which took place on the sidelines of the "Africa Space Expo 2026” in Abidjan, makes Côte d’Ivoire the 75th country to join this initiative, according to media reports.
The Artemis Accords notably establish principles for scientific cooperation, data sharing, system interoperability and the reduction of space debris.
Côte d’Ivoire’s accession comes amid the growing importance of space applications on the African continent. Space technologies can notably contribute to the development of sectors such as agriculture, Earth observation, telecommunications, environmental protection, disaster management, security and border surveillance.
On this occasion, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Adama Diawara, stressed that this accession reflects Côte d’Ivoire’s growing ambitions in the fields of research and space technologies.
He also noted that this move comes as investment in the space sector is increasing across the African continent.
"Our ambition is therefore to build a space agency that brings stakeholders together, an agency that connects our universities and laboratories, an agency that brings together the wide range of needs of sectoral ministries, an agency that transforms scientific knowledge into high-value-added services for the State, the economy and citizens,” he said.
According to official figures, Africa’s space budget reached $626.69 million in 2025, following increased investment in several satellite programs.
Through this momentum, African countries are seeking to make space technologies a lever for development, innovation and the continent’s economic and social needs.