Angola’s Minister for Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication Engineer Mário Oliveira has affirmed that his country will work with both public and private sector operators to spread the benefits of the Angolan communication satellite - Angosat 2.
Oliveira said opportunities exist for collaborative efforts to develop the African space by bridging the gaps in space sciences and placing a premium on the peaceful use of space across Africa for sustainable economic development.
He said international cooperation and experience sharing were key in advancing Africa’s space sector.
Oliveira noted that Angola’s Angostat-2 provides public and public sector opportunities in ICT infrastructure development, agriculture, mining, construction, oil, border surveillance, climate change and sustainable economic development.
"The Angolan space industry is open to both public and private players across Africa. Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia have already expressed interest in using Angost space technology in the context of accelerated digital transformation,' he told the Media in Nairobi.
The minister said that Angola's space technology makes it possible to extend broadband connectivity in remote areas across Africa that are poorly covered by the terrestrial networks of telecom operators.
"Kenyan public and private players and operators stand to benefit from Angostat 2," he added.
Angostat- 2 falls under one of the Kenya Angola MoUs signed last year when Angolan President Laurencio visited Kenya.
The MoUs have created a framework for Government-to-government and People to People relationships.
"Angola’s space industry is expected to contribute to unifying and developing Africa. The Angolan national space industry serves African interests by creating an environment for synergies across the African space industry," the minister said.
He said that Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço has authorized the commercialization of Angosat-2.
Oliveira told Kenyan media that Angola offers immense opportunities to Kenyan investors in the ICT space.
"A number of top Kenya ICT companies are investing in Angola," he said.
President Laurencio visited Kenya last year when the two nations signed bilateral agreements on 11 legal instruments that are set to boost Government-to-government and people-to-people relations between the two countries.
Kenya and Angola have had other high-level engagements including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Angola's Foreign Minister Teté António meeting
