Djibouti’s plans to build Africa’s first rocket-launch facility is a “very important” step because presently there is no functioning one on the continent, Temidayo Oniosun, the managing Director of the consultancy firm Space in Africa, has told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

His comments come after the country signed a preliminary agreement with a Chinese space firm to build a $1bn (£800m) rocket-launch site.

Under the deal, the satellite-manufacturing company Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group will manage the site for the first 30 years and then it will pass to Djiboutian hands.

The Djiboutians' goal was to have an “international launch site” where any company from anywhere in the world could launch satellites, Mr Oniosun said.

Djibouti had a natural edge as it was relatively close to the equator, which means rocket launch companies could “save some fuel” and money by launching their satellites from there, Mr Oniosun continued.

However, as the Chinese would be managing the site, it might be “politically difficult” to attract companies based in countries that had a strained relationship with Beijing, like the US, Mr Oniosun warned.

He added that over the next decade we could see more space facilities built in Africa, with countries like Egypt and Nigeria having plans in the pipeline to build them.