In a significant milestone for the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), the Vice Chancellor, joined by Prof. Amos Kabo-Bah, Dean of the International Relations Office (IRO), signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Agence Gabonaise d’Études et d’Observations Spatiales (AGEOS) on the sidelines of the NewSpace Africa 2026 Conference in Libreville, Gabon. The MoU was the culmination of a process diligently championed by the IRO under Prof. Kabo-Bah’s leadership, reflecting the office’s proactive role in identifying and securing high-value international partnerships for UENR.
The agreement establishes a robust framework for sustained academic and scientific collaboration between the two institutions. Under its terms, AGEOS staff members will participate on a yearly basis in any of UENR’s postgraduate programmes, to build technical and scientific capacity among Gabon’s space and Earth observation professionals. In addition, the two institutions will jointly design and implement tailored research projects that leverage the complementary strengths of AGEOS in space-based monitoring and UENR’s EORIC infrastructure in Earth observation, hydrology, climate intelligence, and land degradation research.
The signing represents a deliberate and strategic move by the Vice Chancellor and the IRO to grow international student enrolment at UENR while deepening the university’s research partnerships in the Central African region. AGEOS, which plays a leading role in Gabon’s national and continental space agenda as evidenced by its prominent representation throughout the NewSpace Africa 2026 programme, is a highly credible partner whose engagement with UENR will significantly enhance the university’s visibility and influence in Francophone Central Africa.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Kabo-Bah noted that the MoU reflects the IRO’s commitment to expanding UENR’s international footprint beyond West Africa and building enduring institutional bridges across the continent. He emphasised that the IRO had identified the Central African region as a strategic priority for UENR’s internationalisation drive, and that the AGEOS partnership represents the first of several planned engagements in that corridor.
The MoU is expected to serve as a gateway for further collaborative engagements with other Central African institutions, cementing UENR’s emergence as a reference institution for Earth observation and space applications across Sub-Saharan Africa.
