BY Olapeju Olubi
The future of Nigerian aviation arrived early in Lagos as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) took centre stage at the 5th Drone Technology Expo and Conference (DRONETECX 2025).
At the event, the Authority unveiled its clear vision for vertiports, dedicated hubs for air taxis, drones, and other vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
In a presentation, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, told delegates that the Authority is already laying the groundwork to ensure Nigeria is not left behind in the rapidly evolving era of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).
“The future is no longer distant. We are standing at the threshold of a new aviation age, one where aircraft as taxis, powered by electric propulsion and guided by artificial intelligence, will transform how Nigerians move, live and connect”, she said.
The event, held at the NIGAV Expo Centre within the Murtala Muhammed Airport, DRONETECX 2025 brought together aviation leaders, drone innovators and regulators under one roof to envision the next chapter in Africa’s aviation journey.
The FAAN MD praised the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for championing technological innovation in line with global aviation trends and ICAO’s strategic direction.
“The Minister’s support is helping to shape a future-ready aviation landscape. With platforms like DRONETECX, Nigeria is taking decisive steps toward embracing the unmanned and autonomous revolution,” she noted.
Central to FAAN’s strategy is the development of vertiports, compact, flexible facilities designed for eVTOL aircraft. Unlike conventional airports, vertiports are intended for short-distance, on-demand flights within urban and semi-urban areas, providing a critical solution to Nigeria’s infrastructure and mobility challenges.
“Vertiports are not here to replace airports; they are here to complement them,” he explained. “They will serve as urban mobility nodes—efficient, accessible, and capable of redefining our transport network from the skies”, she added.
She further emphasised that FAAN is actively reimagining airport infrastructure to integrate this new model of air travel, with a focus on safety, regulation, and interoperability with manned air traffic.
“The question is no longer if, but how quickly we can prepare. As airports evolve into multi-modal transport hubs, vertiports will unlock new economic and logistical possibilities for our cities and regions”, she noted.
The presentation also touched on Nigeria’s unique geographical and demographic landscape, underscoring the need for innovative air transport solutions to bridge existing connectivity gaps.
“With our vast terrain and growing population, drone-enabled mobility offers a transformative, inclusive solution. The time to plan and build is now.
“What Mr. Idu and his team have done here is remarkable. They are helping to write the future of African aviation—and FAAN is proud to be part of that journey,” the MD stated.
As discussions continue on drone regulation, safety frameworks, and infrastructure readiness, FAAN’s call to action is clear: Nigeria must embrace its role as a leader in the next wave of aviation innovation.
“We are not preparing for a possibility—we are building for an inevitability. The skies of tomorrow belong to those who are bold enough to imagine and build today”, Kuku said.
DRONETECX 2025, organised by FCI International and led by the visionary Mr. Fortune Idu, was hailed as a vital platform for capacity building, knowledge sharing, and stakeholder engagement.
