President Kagame made the remarks while addressing leaders attending the International Space Summit in Paris, where representatives from different sectors gathered to discuss the future of space activities and technology.
He said the space sector is developing rapidly, driven by declining costs of space-related services, new technologies and the growing involvement of the private sector.
“Africa wants to be a full participant in this development, not simply a user of space capabilities, but a continent that contributes to scientific research and has a voice in international decision-making,” Kagame said.
He noted that Africa has significant opportunities to benefit from the space sector, particularly because of its young population and the rapid expansion of technology across the continent.
Kagame said Rwanda has established a national space policy aimed at attracting investment and promoting innovation in the sector.
“Today, we use space technology and artificial intelligence to advance agriculture, infrastructure, disaster management and other critical sectors,” he said.
He stressed that Rwanda’s ambitions in the space sector go beyond simply using satellite-generated data, noting that the country is also developing ground-based infrastructure that supports space-related activities in the region.
“Rwanda has ground infrastructure used by space service providers around the world, thereby contributing to strengthening space capabilities in the region,” Kagame said.
The President warned that as the number of satellites deployed around the world continues to increase, competition for orbital positions and access to communication frequencies is also intensifying.
He said this could put developing countries at risk of being left behind and losing opportunities to participate meaningfully in the sector.
“Rwanda, together with other partners, supports the efforts of the African Telecommunications Union to recover space frequencies that had been lost by the continent,” he said.
He added that the experience demonstrates the importance of collective African action in protecting the continent’s interests and strengthening its position in the global space sector.
“This has shown that coordinated action by Africa can protect its interests and further strengthen its role in the space sector,” Kagame said.
Kagame also emphasized the need for the rapid development of the space sector to be accompanied by clear international rules and regulations to ensure that space activities are conducted responsibly and sustainably.
He warned that restricting countries’ access to space technologies and knowledge could slow the overall development of the sector.
The President called for continued international cooperation to ensure that the benefits of space technology are not concentrated in the hands of a few countries but are accessible to people across the world.
“We must avoid reproducing in space the inequalities that already exist in other sectors,” he said.
Kagame said Rwanda is ready to continue working with France, Europe and other partners to strengthen cooperation in the space sector and ensure that its benefits contribute to the well-being of people worldwide.
Rwanda’s Growing Space Sector
Rwanda is increasingly investing in the use of space technology to support national development, particularly in telecommunications, climate change resilience and agriculture.
One of the country’s key milestones was the development of RWASAT-1, Rwanda’s first satellite, which was launched into space in 2019 through a partnership involving the University of Tokyo and the Government of Japan.
The satellite marked the beginning of Rwanda’s national efforts to develop space technology and build local capacity in satellite development and utilization.
Rwanda is also working to expand the use of satellite data across various sectors, including agriculture, urban planning, forest conservation and disaster management.
Through a partnership with Planet Labs, Rwanda has established a programme that provides government institutions, universities and technology companies with near-daily satellite imagery of the Earth to support research and decision-making.
The country also established the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA), which is responsible for promoting the space sector and leveraging space technology to support economic development and improve citizens’ well-being.
The agency is also involved in strengthening national capacity in Earth observation data collection and analysis while developing international partnerships in the space sector.
In addition, Rwanda is pursuing initiatives to develop local capacity in the production of small satellites. TRL Space Rwanda is among the organizations working to develop satellite technology capable of collecting specialized data for applications such as agriculture, environmental monitoring and addressing the impacts of climate change.
