FG initiates policy on drone industry in Nigeria

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has initiated the process of establishing a comprehensive National Policy Direction specifically for the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drone industry, in Nigeria.

This move marks a shift from simple regulation to a structured national strategy to manage the rapid growth of drone technology nationwide.

The framework is designed to move beyond the existing Part 21 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs). Its primary goals include addressing the proliferation of drones and ensuring that commercial development is organised rather than fragmented, positioning the drone sector as a major driver for job creation, innovation, and youth participation in the economy, defining clear roles for stakeholders to ensure that the expansion of drone use does not compromise national security or airspace safety.

Others are defining clear roles for stakeholders to ensure that the expansion of drone use does not compromise national security or airspace safety, and preparing Nigeria for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), following global trends in which the UAV market is projected to reach significant value by 2034.

To ensure the policy has longevity, a National Roadmap has been developed to guide the industry over the next decade and a multi-agency committee has been formed, including the Ministry of Aviation, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

This roadmap has already been submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and integrated into the Nigerian Civil Aviation Master Plan.

Nigeria’s drone sector has rapidly expanded since the administration introduced a seemingly liberalised registration and oversight process, viewing the emerging sector as a job-creation opportunity.

 Across the country, young people are increasingly using drones for a variety of applications, from agricultural spraying and filmmaking to aerial surveys and video documentation.

Consequently, Keyamo mandated the NCAA to develop a national policy framework for Unmanned Aerial Systems in Nigeria to complement the Remote-Piloted Aircraft regulation, Part 21.

 When operational, the policy framework will help close gaps in the proliferation of commercial development and create a more organised and coordinated commercial development industry in Nigeria.

The approval, stemming from the report of the Dronetecx 2024/2025 conference, was adopted to support the sector’s growth, define stakeholders’ roles, and properly map and optimise the industry potential.

Globally, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are trending toward Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), transforming aviation, logistics, security, and urban transport, with a project market value for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) projected to reach  $41.27 billion in 2025. The market is projected to grow from USD 47.55 billion in 2026 to USD 160.44 billion by 2034, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.40%.

Chairman of Dronetecx and the coordinator of the National Framework, Mr Fortune Idu, said the group has been engaging extensively, both locally and internationally, to achieve the result mandated by the Minister of Aviation.

 Idu indicated that a National Roadmap for the industry’s advancement has been created to cover year 2026 to 2036 to guide the process, and that it has been submitted to the International Civil Aviation Authority and incorporated into the Nigerian Civil Aviation master plan, demonstrating a serious determination to ensure the industry’s success in Nigeria.

Recently, the group began an international exchange with European counterparts at a workshop held at Munich Airport International (MAI), focusing on UAS operations, regulatory frameworks, and future use cases.

The visit brought together experts from Germany and Nigeria to align on shared objectives and explore pathways to developing safe, scalable unmanned aviation systems.

Wole Shadare