BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
In a move towards accelerating the use of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in Nigeria, the acting Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo has approved the establishment of a drone desk to ensure a guided advancement of remotely piloted aircraft in Nigeria.
Mr. Fortune Idu, the Chairman of DRONETECX in a statement noted that Najomo’s action draws strength from Part 21 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation released on May 17th, 2023.
Adding that the move also dismantles the hitherto wrongly-held notion that drones were prohibited technology and banned in Nigeria.
To further address this misconception and other matters, the NCAA approved the recommendation of the DroneTecx Nigeria Drone Enabled Group in February 2024, resulting from the ICAO Enabled Conference in Montreal 2023.
The recommendation according to Idu was for the creation of a full Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) unit in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of any nation.
Saying In Nigeria, the NCAA will be responsible for managing and monitoring drone development in Nigeria, as well as acting as the custodian of the regulation, enforcement of relevant items of the act and driving the national plan for UAS development.
His words, “With Najomo’s approval of a dedicated drone desk within the NCAA, the purpose of this initiative is to have a comprehensive understanding of this emerging subsector and ensure that Nigeria is not left behind in maximizing the potential it holds.
“The new unit, which is now coordinated under the Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, is headed by Engr. Balang Godwin and it is expected to evolve into a full directorate in future.
“This will enable a central control for RPAS licensing, certification, inspection and monitoring, compliance for safety and security, and driving national plans for drone advancement under a single umbrella.
Mr. Fortune Idu, while on a recent courtesy call on Engineer Balang Godwin who is also a member of Nigeria Drone Enabled Group, presented a previous report on Dronetecx to the Director and used the opportunity to announce the plan to host the 4th Drone Technology Conference and Exhibition (DRONTECX 2024) from 14 to 16 May 2024, at NIGAV Expo Center, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos.
Balang, a very experienced aviator, sees the UAS industry as an emerging opportunity that will present Nigeria with job and wealth creation benefits and a future alternative in air transportation.
He is enthusiastic about the opportunities drone aviation presents to many other sectors and assures of the commitment of the present administration of NCAA led by Capt. Chris O. Najomo and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Barr Festus Keyamo to see this through.
However, he cautions that safety, registration and licencing are required and must not be toyed with.
Meanwhile, Mr Idu has hinted that DRONTECX 2024 is set to host 250 delegates.
“The following organizations will be participating: the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, FAAN, Nigeria Airforce, National Emergency Management Agency, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, PRODA, National Airspace Agency, NCAT NIMET, Central Bank of Nigeria, SMEDAN, as well as many emerging players in the unmanned aircraft sector such as Ere, Global Air Academy, UFO, Asseco, Noble-logistics, Ariel Robotix. Additionally, over 1,000 guests from various business sectors interested in exploring the potential of drone applications in their fields will be attending the expo.
These include the Ministry of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, real estate firms, oil and gas companies, mining and safety organisations, and rescue organisations”, he said.
He informed that Hundreds of youth enterprises are growing in the lucrative drone sector, which covers videography, agriculture field spraying, surveying, mapping, pipeline monitoring, and facility assessment.
While many institutions of higher learning are already considering including the drone programme in their curriculum, and research centres are now emerging in drone hardware and software development.
Experts note that the future is bright as drones’ economic and humanitarian benefits are encouraging.
They insist that making drone licencing and registration easier and seamless while maintaining the utmost safety, monitoring, and tracking of drone development will be one of the most promising futuristic efforts of the incumbent administration.
