SBAS in Africa …
Europe started its activities in the field of Satellite Navigation with the design and implementation of EGNOS, the European Geostationary Overlay Service now providing operational services for aviation in Europe since 2009. Beyond aviation, EGNOS improves and extends the scope of GNSS applications in numerous market segments, including maritime, road, rail, surveying, mapping, agriculture, location-based services etc.
Initial services are already provided in North Africa. Indeed, provision of SBAS services in Africa technically results from the fact that a geostationary spacecraft covers both Europe and Africa opening the door to a potential cooperation between the EU and the African Union. In Africa, while growth is very high compared to the rest of the world, this being supported by a dynamic demography, it is recognized that in the Aeronautical sector safety performance still requires improvement with regards to international standards. Satellite navigation through the provision of SBAS services in Africa is therefore an opportunity to improve flight safety, and more globally to contribute to its socio-economic growth not only in the transport sector (aviation, maritime, inland waterways) but also in other sectors such as mining, oil, agriculture, land management etc.
The initiative to provide SBAS services in Africa started in 2010, with sustained exchanges between the EC and ASECNA (Agence pour la Sécurité de la Navigation Aerienne en Afrique et à Madagascar) resulting in an international agreement signed in 2016. The agreement encompasses two key joint objectives: support the development and provision of SBAS services in the continent, set up an African Management Team in Dakar, Senegal, with the aim of promoting satellite navigation solutions in whole Africa.
ASECNA, international public organization of 19 Member States, has decided to implement the Augmented Navigation for Africa (ANGA) as an “indigenous” continental-level navigation augmentation system for Africa in line with Africa Union Space Policy (Navigation and Positioning) and key enabler of the Single African Sky of the African Union under its Agenda 2063.
An African Team in Africa: the JPO …
The JPO’s ambition is to constitute the pan-African instrument in charge of supporting the development of SBAS services in Africa. Initiated under the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES), the 10th European Development Fund, followed by the initiative of the EC Pan African program (so-called Pan’Af), funded under the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) JPO began its activities in December 2013. Staffing was completed in September 2014, thus making JPO fully operational for more than 10 years. The JPO Office is housed in a dedicated new building located close to Leopold Senghor Airport (Yoff).
The JPO Team is managed by the Director, Semou Diouf, the head of System and services, Moustapha Boukary, and the Head of Adoption and Market development, Dr Aicha Alou Oumarou. A Team of 5 experts (Agnès Kobusinge, Alex Wanda, Herbert Ngaya, Djabarou Issotina) and supporting staff (Aristide Dovonou, Theodore Konan) covering key specialties (economic, technical and operational) completes the Team.
A challenging future ….
As part of the EC international partnership the Satellite Navigation in Africa Support Programme IV-SatNav Africa Joint Programme Office (JPO) is now running. The expected results can be summarized as follows:
- Support for the development and delivery of SBAS servicessuch as ANGA and the integration of SBAS services into regional policies and strategies.
- Support the adoption and use of GNSS services, and the development and promotion of all downstream GNSS activities and corresponding markets across Africa.
Regarding the support for the development of SBAS services in Africa apart the support to ANGA ,the JPO is steadily supporting the development of the Eastern Africa module in liaison with main actor’s such as EAC (East Africa Community) and IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) without neglecting exchanges with ACAO (Arabic Civil Aviation Organization )for Northern Africa and with Southern Africa main organizations.
Regarding the adoption of GNSS services, the JPO has the ambition to set up a GNSS Hub with the aim tofoster collaboration, innovation, and capacity building between all key public and private players in GNSS and space technology in Africa. Synergies between GNSS, Earth Observation and IRIS² objectives, existing programs, means and staff involved are considered as central.
Simultaneously a key challenge for the Team will be to ensure the integration of its work in the frame of the Africa–EU Space Partnership Programme and consolidate its relations with the African Space Agency.
