---
title: Will Mauritania join the African space race? - Developing Telecoms
description: The government of Mauritania has indicated that it intends to develop a national space programme focused on nanosatellites to strengthen sovereign capabilities and support overall economic development.
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date: 2025-09-30T17:35:47Z
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The government of Mauritania has indicated that it intends to develop a national space programme focused on nanosatellites to strengthen sovereign capabilities and support overall economic development.

Ahmed Salem Ould Abode, Minister of Digital Transformation, reportedly held a high-level meeting on 29 September to review the project. A statement on the Ministry’s Facebook page said: “The programme will include strategic tasks for security, surveillance and monitoring, as well as expanded coverage to ensure access to digital services across the national soil.”

The programme will deploy one or more low Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellites and build essential ground infrastructure for satellite control and operations. The Mauritanian government has said it will also transfer skills to national experts to enable satellite design, manufacturing and operation.

In this context, the Minister’s meeting was held to look into the details of this strategic project, which will define these tasks in close consultation with all the ministries concerned and all relevant parties.

If all goes to plan, the country will be joining a growing number of African nations investing in satellite communications. In August 2024, for example, [we reported](https://developingtelecoms.com/telecom-technology/satellite-communications-networks/17173-senegal-enters-african-space-race-with-gaindesat-1a-nanosat.html) the launch of Senegal’s first-ever satellite, after numerous delays, marking the first stage of its national space programme SENSAT.

The Ecofin news agency says Djibouti, Côte d’Ivoire, and Botswana have also recently deployed their own satellites. However, it points out that Mauritania’s programme remains in development, with no timeline so far disclosed for satellite launch or completion, or, it seems, skills development.

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