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African countries are not oblivious of the fact that the primary base of their economic deve 
lopment lies in the proper inventorying, judicious exploitation and rational utilization of their 
natural resources. With a proper inventory, they will be able to gain sovereignty over those re 
sources; and with wise and prudent exploitation, they will be better disposed to meet most of the 
needs of their people, and improve the quality of their lives. 
In order to reverse the aforementioned state of affairs (low level of technology application and 
its attendant deterring effect on the socio-economic development, African countries took the 
plunge, in the early 1970s, to enter the race of space science and its technology applications in the 
unshaking belief that the natural resources of their respective territories would be fully explored 
in a co-ordinated manner by means of the most advanced technologies available. It was never in 
doubt how this laudable objective could be achieved. Technical co-operation, firstly among the 
African States themselves and secondly through the involvement of international organizations 
and institutions concerned with the development of space science and its technology applica- 
tions on multi-lateral or bilateral basis, and/or both, offers the most practical solution. In point 
of fact, "Technical Co-operation among Developing Countries (TCDC)'' became a clarion call 
among the developing countries as their individual resources, human and material, are grossly 
inadequate to meet the challenge imposed by the low level of technological development, and 
hence the deplorable state of their economies. 
As far as the African situation was concerned, it was appreciated all along that the applica 
tion of remote sensing by individual member States was not going to be effective and the benefi 
cial effects realized optimally if they are left to import the technology singly because of the lack 
of basic infrastructure and trained manpower to utilize the tool. In most of the countries, the 
basic education is lacking; in order to prepare the ground for their efficient and effective-utili- 
zation, the introductiori of remote sensing application to resource inventory and exploitation was 
to be gradual, and a ''regional'' or "'subregional" structure created for the dissemination: ot infor- 
mation the application of the new technique for resource development, and the training of re: 
source planners, through organization of relevant courses, seminars and workshops, including the 
provision of users-assistance facilities and the execution of pilot projects. 
This concept gave birth to the establishment of an “African Remote Sensing Programme’’ 
(ARSP) which represents the concerted efforts of the African member States, through their 
dogged determination to have mastery over their natural resources and developed them for the 
benefit of their people, to engage in remote sensing activities at regional, subregional and national 
levels. The form which this programme took finally is the subject of the next chapter of this 
paper. : : 
3. THE AFRICAN REMOTE SENSING PROGRAMME 
The origin of an African programme (continent-wide or regional) in remote sensing can be 
traced back to the warm embrace given by African States to the General Assembly resolutions 
2955 (XXVI) and 3182 (XV III) on the peaceful uses of outer space and the need for inter na- 
tional co-operation in that regard. Consequent upon that reflection of the will of the member 
States, and in consonance with its given mandates, the Economic Commission for Africa fielded 
a mission consisting of some international organizations, agencies and interested parties to collect, 
evaluate and disseminate economic, technical and relevant information on the feasibility of estab- 
lishing an African Remote Sensing Programme. The mission, among other things, recommended 
the establishment of an earth-based regional centre for receiving and processing data transmitted 
by remote sensing satellites. By its resolution 280 (X 1), the ECA Conference of Ministers held in 
Nairobi (Kenya) in February 1975 unanimously endorsed the decision and requested the Execu- 
tive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa to take all practical steps to implement 
the resolution.