AfSA’s leadership team comprises pioneers in space science and policy, dedicated to advancing Africa’s role in global space exploration.
A crucial part of AfSA’s governance structure is the African Space Council, inaugurated during the 37th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly. The Council is tasked with providing leadership and oversight to AfSA’s operations. It comprises ten members, two from each of Africa’s five regions, ensuring that all parts of the continent have a voice in the agency’s decision-making processes.
Côte d'Ivoire
His Excellency, Dr. Tidiane Ouattara, holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of Sherbrooke (Canada), obtained in 2001 and 1996, respectively. He also holds a master’s degree in Physical Geography from the University of Cocody-Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire).
H.E. Dr. Ouattara was elected President of the African Space Agency Council in February 2024. Fluent in both English and French, he has extensive experience in international relations and business development, research and development, strategic policy formulation, and program management related to the environment, natural resources, and science and technology.
Positions Held:
•President of the African Space Agency Council (since February 2024).
•At the African Union Commission (2016–present):
•Acting Director of the Department of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation.
•Head of the Science, Technology, and Space Division.
•Space Science Expert and Coordinator of the African Space Program and the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (GMES & Africa) program.
•At the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada (2010–2016):
•Chief Manager, Planning and Coordination Section for Landscape and Ecosystem Assessment, Canadian Wildlife Service.
•At the Ministry of Natural Resources Canada (2002–2004 and 2006–2010):
•Senior Science and Policy Advisor to the Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Scientist.
•Head of the Knowledge Management Unit, Bilateral and Multilateral Strategies.
•Manager of the Canadian Digital Elevation Model Program.
•At the Canadian Space Agency (2004–2006):
•Manager of International Relations, responsible for Africa, Central and South America, and the United Nations.
•Oversaw portfolios related to Earth observation, navigation and positioning, robotics, and space sciences.
•Lecturer at the University of Sherbrooke (1996–2001).
Malawi
Namibia
Dr Mundia is a Namibian man, born in the Zambezi region, Republic of Namibia. He is the Deputy Executive Director responsible for Research, Innovation and Training in the Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation (MHETI), Government of the Republic of Namibia. A seasoned executive, academician, entrepreneur and author. He has over 20 years of working experience, over 10 years of which is in education, research and training. He lectured, reviewed and developed international accredited degree programmes from NQF level 6 to 10, and worked for various industries ranging from consulting, higher education, utility, mining and local authority, making him highly relevant to the multidisciplinary research agenda.
Dr Mundia served as the Director of Research and Innovation in MHETI. He served as one of the first Council Member of the Space Science under National Commission on Research Science and Technology. A former Committee Member of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure under the Namibia Statistics Agency, the Land Tribunal Board member under the Ministry of Land Reform, and an Advisory Board Member of the Southern African Innovation Support Programme. He currently serves as a Space Council Member of the African Space Agency under Africa Union Commission, a Advisory Board Member of the Earth Observations for Sustainable Development Goals (EO4SDG) Initiative under the Group on Earth Observations, a Trustee and Board Member of the Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre (SANUMARC), an Advisory Board Member of the Multidisciplinary Research Center of the University of Namibia, a Chairperson of the National Research Symposiums (MHETI), a Chairperson of the National Steering Committee on Research Outputs and Journal Accreditations (MHETI), the Founder and Chairperson of the Namibia Geographical Information Technologies, and the World College of Science and Innovation Pty Ltd.
Dr Mundia is a graduate of a Master of Management; a PhD in Geography; Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management; M.Sc. Geographical Information Science (GIS); and many other qualifications in GIS, land management and land measuring. He has published a number of journal, conference papers and books. He manages and facilitates a number of international projects on land, water, development, earth observation, geographical sciences, climate change, health sciences, among others, such as the project on: Addressing drought challenges in Southern Africa: review of drought mitigation policies, strategies and management plans. He is a reviewer of international journal articles and he supervises and examines research on Masters and PhD levels.
Algeria
Rwanda
Éliane Ubalijoro, PhD is Chief Executive Officer of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and Director General of ICRAF. An accomplished leader with a background in agriculture and molecular genetics, she serves on several boards and has been recognized for outstanding contributions to innovation, gender equity and sustainable prosperity creation.
Born in Rwanda and raised on three continents, Dr Ubalijoro knew from a young age that she wanted a career in service to the world. She earned a bachelor’s degree in general agriculture and a master’s and a doctorate in molecular genetics from McGill University, where she studied improving productivity in agriculture. With a career spanning academia, the private sector and the non-profit and international development sectors, she started as a scientific director in the biotechnology sector working in molecular diagnostics, later pivoting to focus on sustainable development as well as improving the lives of women and smallholder farmers in emerging countries.
Dr Ubalijoro has been a Professor of Practice for public-private sector partnerships at McGill University since 2008. From 2021 to March 2023, she was the Executive Director of Sustainability in the Digital Age and the Canada Hub Director for Future Earth. She is a member of Rwanda’s National Science and Technology Council and Presidential Advisory Council, the Impact Advisory Board of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet, the Science for Africa Foundation, the Capitals Coalition Supervisory Board, the External Advisory Committee to the Chief Statistician of Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada on Canada’s first Census of Environment, Digital Green and Genome Canada, among others. She is also a fellow of the International Science Council and a member of the first elected African Space Council as of February 2024.
Prior to returning to academia, she was a scientific director in a Montreal-based biotechnology company in charge of molecular diagnostic and bioinformatics discovery programs. This work led Dr Ubalijoro to undertake consulting work in Haiti and in Africa related to sustainable climate-resilient economic growth.
Recognized for her work in leadership and gender equity, Dr Ubalijoro is a recipient of the International Leadership Association‘s 2022 awards in women and leadership for outstanding practice with broad impact and is part of a cohort of appointed International Science Council fellows in recognition for outstanding contributions to promoting science as a global public good. She has facilitated the UNAIDS Leadership Programme for Women at the United Nations System Staff College. Dr Ubalijoro was a member of FemStep, a research network highlighting rural girls’ and women’s perspectives for engendering poverty reduction strategies in Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, DR Congo and Ethiopia using arts-based methodologies. In 2018, She co-facilitated the second Global Women in Science Leadership Workshop in Rwanda with support from the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Her career path was featured in Forbes in celebration of International Women’s Day 2019.
Previously, Dr Ubalijoro founded C.L.E.A.R. International Development Inc., a consulting group harnessing global networks for sustainable systems development. She was the Deputy Executive Director for Programs at Global Open Data in Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) from 2019 to 2021 and was a member of WWF International’s Board of Trustees and the Crop Trust’s Executive Board. She is a co-editor of the 2021 book Building Resilient African Food Systems after COVID-19 and has served as a member of the Expert Consultation Group on the Post COVID-19 Implications on Collaborative Governance of Genomics Research, Innovation and Genetic Diversity, as well as the African Development Bank’s Expert Global Community of Practice on COVID-19 Response Strategies in Africa. She has also served as a member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) Special Policy Study on Post 2020: Global Biodiversity Conservation.
Nigeria
Dr. Rakiya Abdullahi Babamaaji (FGEOSON, MCOMEG) is a Deputy Director, Strategic Space Applications Department, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). Her expertise is in Geosciences, Water Resources, Environmental Assessment, RS and GIS etc. She has worked as a graduate research assistant at Hydrolab, University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), USA (2008 – 2012), also part time teaching assistant, geology department, Missouri Community College Maplewood Campus, Kansas City, USA (Jan – June 2014). She conducts research amongst which are: Hydrological modelling and Land use Land cover (LULC) of Lake Chad Basin (LCB) supported by NASRDA/NSF/NASA, Hydrological modelling of Katsina-ala river basin: an emerging scenario from Lake Nyos threat supported by NASRDA/UMKC. Dr Rakiya was an intern from May – August 2005 with Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Commercialization Office (GRIP) and carried out research under Water Related Issues and Space application in Africa. She has also supervised and coordinated researches in the use earth observation technology in Agriculture, Eco-conservation, Disaster and Water resources.
She was formerly vice chair Africa Union Science and Technology Advisory Group on Disaster Risk Reduction from 2021 – 2023, a Vice chair of ITU/WMO/UNEP Focal Group on Global Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solution. A member of Project Implementation Team (PIT) for Geo-referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) Nigeria. She is the coordinator, CropWatch Nigeria program. The NASRDA desk officer for World Bank Nigeria ACReSAL project. She is also one of two African Scientists invited into United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Global Risk Assessment Framework (UNDRR GRAF) Steering Group. Dr. Rakiya was elected into the Africa Space Council at the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held from February 14th – 15th, 2024. Dr Rakiya is also a Member of the Advisory Board of the EO AFRICA R&D Facility.
Dr. Rakiya holds a Doctorate degree in Geosciences and Civil Engineering from University of Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, USA, a Masters (MSc in Space Management from International Space University (ISU), Strasbourg, France and another Masters degree (MSc) in Environmental Resources Management from Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, Nigeria and B.Tech in Geology, Federal University of Technology Yola, Adamawa, Nigeria. She has Certificate in Concept & Skill in Applied Earth Science Research from International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), Netherlands. She is a visiting lecturer with Institute of Space Science Engineering (ISSE), African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja, Nigeria and a Resource person for UN African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education – English (ARCSSTEE).
Dr. Rakiya is a fellow of Geospatial Society of Nigeria (GEOSON) and a member of the following professional organizations too: Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), Nigeria Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Nigerian Association of Geodesy (NAG), Nigerian Association Of Hydrological Sciences (NAHS), America Geophysical Union (AGU), Africa Women in GIS (AWiGIS), Africa Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE), GMES & Africa Academic Network, Women in GMES & Africa, etc.
Djibouti
Aboubaker Hassan is a prominent figure in the scientific and administrative landscape of Djibouti, having held major responsibilities within the government and in various technical and educational fields. Originally from Djibouti, he has distinguished himself through a remarkable academic and professional journey, significantly contributing to the country’s development, particularly in the sectors of higher education, research, and technological innovation.
Graduating in 1996 with a degree in hydraulic engineering, specializing in urban hydraulics from the National Higher School of Hydraulics of Toulouse (ENSEEIHT), Aboubaker had previously obtained a Specialized Higher Studies Diploma in geophysics from the Institute of Earth Physics of Paris in 1994. His strong academic background was further enriched by a postgraduate diploma in business management, specializing in strategy and finance, awarded in 2004 in partnership with the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and the French Development Agency.
His professional career began in 1995 at the National Office for Water and Sanitation, where he successively held the positions of Head of the Technical Department and Technical Advisor to the Director. There, he implemented strategies in the field of urban water management and oversaw the production and distribution of drinking water in Djibouti. Building on this initial experience, Aboubaker Hassan became Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research in 2012, a position he has held ever since. In this role, he has played a leading part in implementing several structural reforms and innovative projects.
One of the flagship projects he coordinates is the Program for the Professionalization and Digitalization of Higher Education (PNE), funded by the French Development Agency. This program aims, among other things, to establish a Center of Excellence for Digital and Innovation and to professionalize academic programs at the University of Djibouti to obtain accreditation from HCERES.
His involvement in the technological field is particularly evident through the Djiboutian space program, which he has led since its inception in 2020. Under his leadership, Djibouti launched its first nanosatellite in 2023, followed by a second nanosatellite in December 2024, a historic first for the country. This achievement, the result of a partnership with the University Space Center of Montpellier, marks a significant technological advancement for Djibouti.
Aboubaker Hassan is also the architect of several legislative initiatives related to space, including drafting laws and regulations governing space activities in Djibouti. In November 2024, he secured Djibouti’s membership in COPUOS (Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space).
In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Aboubaker Hassan was elected in February 2024 as a member of the African Space Council.
Additionally, he has received several honorary distinctions, including the title of Knight in the Order of Academic Palms of the French Republic in 2016 and the rank of Officer in the National Order of June 27 of the Republic of Djibouti in 2024 for his role in the success of the Djiboutian space program.
Morocco
Amal LAYACHI is an engineer in the field of automation and industrial computing, with a solid academic background including a Master’s degree in electronics, electrical engineering and automation, as well as a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) in instrumentation and control.
Her professional journey spanning over 30 years reveals remarkable expertise in the implementation of integrated programs that merge space solutions with national and regional strategies.
At the core of her career, Ms. LAYACHI has coordinate significant projects aimed at integrating space technologies into crucial sectors such as land planning, urbanism, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation and disaster and natural risk management .
This proactive approch has positioned space technologies as an essential lever for socio-economic development. Through her ability to coordinate complex initiatives, she has demonstrated adept leadership, supporting the use of spatial tools to address contemporary challenges.
Her commitment to strengthening institutional capacities is a cornerstone of her expertise. She has initiated several important training and skill development programs, reaching a wide range of national and international stakeholders, particularly within the context of North-South and South-South cooperations. The implementation of over 350 training sessions, workshops, and seminars she has conducted is a testament to her dedication to elevating the level of expertise in space technologies.
As the national focal point for several recognized space agencies such as CNES ESA, NASA, and others, Ms. LAYACHI has established strategic partnerships. She is an member of international organizations such as UNOOSA, GEO, and COSPAR, demonstrating her ability to create international synergies that foster knowledge transfer and expertise exchange.
Her active participation in global forums highlights her role as a catalyst for the application of space technologies in support of development. Her vision of making these technologies accessible to developing countries reflects her determination to transform complex tools into concrete solutions for economic growth.
Through the creation and coordination of a network of universities and research institutions, she is committed to strengthening applied research in the field of Earth Observation, thereby consolidating a community of knowledge and innovation to benefit from future global challenges.
Cameroon
Fernand Guy ISSERI is a research geographer and expert in the production and management of geospatial information, with more than 25 years of experience in the fields of remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and spatial analysis. Currently Deputy Director of Data Processing and Dissemination at the National Institute of Cartography (INC) of Cameroon, he plays a central role in supervising strategic projects, including the development of geospatial databases and the production of geospatial information.
A graduate in geography with a DEA/Master II from the University of Yaoundé I, he also followed specialized training in remote sensing and GIS at CRASTE-LF in Rabat, consolidating his technical expertise. His professional career is marked by significant contributions to international and African initiatives in the field of Geospatial Information.
Since 2011, he has been a member of the United Nations Expert Group on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) where he served as Co-Chair from 2018-2021.
As Co-Chair of the United Nations High-Level Group on Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (UN-HLG-IGIF) since 2023, he has participated in the implementation of global strategies for better geospatial data management. He also holds leadership positions as Vice-Chair of the African Expert Committee on Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM Africa).
A member of several international organizations, including the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of the United Nations Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Center of Excellence in China, Mr. ISSERI is regularly invited to global forums and conferences to share his expertise.
Polyglot, fluent in French, Pidjin, Bafia and English, he is recognized for his coordination skills, his mastery of advanced GIS tools and his strategic vision in the use of geospatial information for sustainable development.
Since July 2024, he has been a Member of the African Space Council of the African Space Agency of the African Union.
Married and father of 4 children.
Contact:
The Space Council receives political guidance from AU policy organs and shall make sure that the AU policy priorities are implemented. As well, The Council advise the said policy organs on space policy-related issues. The African Space Council shall report to the Assembly. The Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology (STC-EST) shall provide overall strategic guidance and orientation to the Agency through the Space Council. This implies regular consultations with AU policy organs through their established statutory mechanisms and the preparation and participation of the AU statutory meetings. The Council will do, among others, the following:
The Council will establish the advisory committee, which will also set terms, rules, and agenda items for the Committee to discuss. This implies the development and implementation of the selection processes, coordination and discussions with different stakeholders and entities, such as RECs and the African Academy of Sciences, as well as establishing selection criteria of the four (4) Chief Executive Officers of four (4) African private sector entities, each representing one of the four space sectors (Earth Observation, Satellite Communication, Navigation, and Space & Astronomy).
The Assembly of Heads of State and Government stands as the highest decision-making body of the African Union (AU), tasked with shaping policies, setting priorities, adopting annual programs, and overseeing their implementation. A defining moment for the continent came during the AU Assembly's 2016 session, where leaders embraced the African Space Policy and Strategy.
This milestone laid the groundwork for leveraging space technologies to realize Africa’s vision of integration, prosperity, and peace. By adopting this strategy, the Assembly highlighted the critical role space can play in fostering sustainable development, mitigating climate change, enhancing disaster management, and boosting socio-economic growth. The endorsement of the space agenda underscored the AU’s commitment to driving innovation, growth, and collaboration across Africa’s burgeoning space sector.
The Assembly of Heads of State and Government stands as the highest decision-making body of the African Union (AU), tasked with shaping policies, setting priorities, adopting annual programs, and overseeing their implementation. A defining moment for the continent came during the AU Assembly's 2016 session, where leaders embraced the African Space Policy and Strategy.
This milestone laid the groundwork for leveraging space technologies to realize Africa’s vision of integration, prosperity, and peace. By adopting this strategy, the Assembly highlighted the critical role space can play in fostering sustainable development, mitigating climate change, enhancing disaster management, and boosting socio-economic growth. The endorsement of the space agenda underscored the AU’s commitment to driving innovation, growth, and collaboration across Africa’s burgeoning space sector.