“It was really giving me a hard time in my mind.”Now Ouattara is helping to lead Africa into space. Early this year, Ouattara became the first president of the African Space Council, which oversees the newly inaugurated African Space Agency (AfSA). VCG/Getty ImagesAfrica’s space industry could be worth $22.6 billion by 2026, up from $19.5 billion in 2021, according to the consultancy Space in Africa. Better data from Earth observation could unlock more than $2 billion in value for Africa, according to a 2021 report by the World Economic Forum. More than 20 countries now have national space programs, and African nations budgeted more than $400 million for the sector in 2024, according to Space in Africa.

---

Persons: Tidiane Ouattara, ”, “, Ouattara, Temidayo Oniosun, Aloyce, Deche, Andrew Nyawade, Simon Maina, that’s, “ It’s, Oniosun, ” Oniosun, ” Ouattara Organizations: CNN, Moon, African Union Commission, African Space Council, Space Agency, ”, World Economic, World Bank Group, Kenya Space Agency, University of Nairobi, Getty, African Development Bank, European Space Agency Locations: Ivory Coast , West Africa, stargaze, Canada, Africa, Ivory Coast, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, Egypt, Cairo, ” Africa, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Bulgaria, AFP, ”