Addis Ababa, October 20, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia is contributing to Africa’s efforts to strengthen geospatial information and satellite-based Earth observation, supporting more accurate development planning, evidence-based policymaking and the monitoring of progress across the continent, a senior United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) official has said.
Andre Nonguierma, Chief of ECA’s Geospatial Information Management Section, said Ethiopia’s progress in developing national space capabilities and applying satellite technologies was helping expand the country’s capacity to generate essential data for planning and development.
He noted that Ethiopia’s satellite launches and growing use of Earth observation systems had strengthened its ability to collect information for national planning, policy formulation and development monitoring.
Nonguierma described geospatial information as critical infrastructure for sustainable development, explaining that reliable location-based data helps governments identify community needs, guide infrastructure investments and track development outcomes over time.
He stressed that African countries could strengthen these capabilities by expanding regional cooperation, pooling resources and integrating geospatial and Earth observation systems with official statistics.
Bringing these data systems together, he said, would enable governments to make better-informed decisions, improve development planning and reinforce evidence-based policymaking.
Nonguierma also pointed to Ethiopia’s engagement in international geospatial governance, including its role on the bureau of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM).
Nonmcebo Nkonyane-Simelane, a land surveyor at the Surveyor General’s Department of the Kingdom of Eswatini, said Ethiopia’s experience in geospatial information management offered valuable lessons for other African countries.
She emphasized that continental cooperation allows countries to exchange expertise, learn from established practices and strengthen their national geospatial capabilities.
The officials made the remarks during the Tenth Session of the Statistical Commission for Africa, held at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa under the theme “Unleashing the Value of Data in Africa: Making Official Statistics a True Mirror of the Continent.”
The session brings together African statistical leaders and international development partners to strengthen statistical systems and expand the contribution of reliable data to development policy.
The meetings also include the Twelfth Meeting of the Regional Committee of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Africa (UN-GGIM: Africa), which focuses on harnessing geospatial information to advance sustainable development and monitor progress.
The discussions seek to strengthen Africa’s statistical systems through technical cooperation, better integration of data and collaborative approaches to evidence-based policymaking.