According to the press release by the World Space Week Association (WSWA), Alma Okpalefe, the Legal Adviser and Secretary of the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd, has been appointed to be its Executive Director. Alma Okpalefe, who will spearhead the establishment of a strategic growth catalyst for the WSWA, will be taking over from Maruška Strah, who has served as the association’s executive director since 2018. 

As NIGCOMSAT’s Company Secretary and Legal Adviser, Alma Okpalefe oversees legal services and international cooperation. Alma graduated from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, obtaining an LLB (Law). She also has an LLM in Corporate and Commercial Law from King’s College, University of London. She has been called to the Bar of England, Wales and Nigeria and secured a Master of Business Administration from Business School, Netherlands. Since 2006, she has worked extensively on national and regional communication satellite projects in Africa and presently serves as the project secretary for the NIGCOMSAT-2 project.

According to Dennis Stone, the President of WSWA, “Alma Okpalefe brings to WSWA her significant experience in space, law, and international relations. In addition, Ms Okpalefe served for 17 years at Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), where she was responsible for corporate strategy, international relations, and legal services.

Expressing her gratitude and enthusiasm, Alma Okpalefe stated that she is deeply honoured to take on the role of Executive Director to support the most prominent space event on Earth and looks forward to leading WSWA efforts to strengthen the links between space and society via World Space Week.

About World Space Week Association

The WSWA is the global coordinator of World Space Week. An international non-government, nonprofit organisation, the Association is a permanent observer on the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. It is supported by voluntary contributions from sponsors, including Sierra Nevada Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Viasat, SCI Aerospace, Inc., SES, Goldman Sachs, Airbus, Heidi Cruz, and GUHEM. The Association, founded in 1982, is one of the world’s oldest space advocacy organisations.