ESA warns Nigeria needs decades-long space policy to secure satellite investments

Officials from the European Space Agency (ESA) told Nigerian leaders that turning satellite investments into real security and economic assets demands a consistent space policy stretching over decades. Alexander Soucek, head of external relations at ESA, and Thomas Weissenberg, an Africa expert within the agency, spoke during the International Space Summit in Paris. They emphasized that national space programs cannot succeed without sustained government investment and predictable strategy. The officers noted that private companies and investors will only commit capital when they have confidence in the long-term direction of government policy. "Everything in space requires not only years, but decades," Soucek said. African nations possess the technical capacity to build stronger space industries, but officials warn that without a secure political perspective, governments and private sectors alike will hesitate to fund capabilities or purchase services.