To complement the Remote Piloted Aircraft regulation Part 21., the Federal Government has begun the process to create a national policy direction for the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) sector in Nigeria.
It was learnt that Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo had recently ,mandated the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to proceed with the development of a national policy framework for the operations of Drones in Nigeria as part of efforts at strengthening the regulations around unmanned vehicle operations.
The policy framework, when operational, will help close gaps in the proliferation of commercial development and create a more organised and coordinated commercial development industry in Nigeria.
This 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.
Nigeria’s drone sector has rapidly expanded since this administration introduced a seemingly liberalised registration and oversight process, viewing the emerging sector as a job-creation opportunity for Nigeria.
Across the country, young people are increasingly involved in using drones for a variety of applications, from agricultural spraying to filmmaking, aerial surveys, and video documentation.
Globally, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are trending towards Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), transforming global aviation, logistics, security, and urban transport, with a project market value for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) hitting USD 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%
To set the ball rolling, a committee comprising of the Ministry of Aviation, NCAA , the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency; the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA); Nigeria College Avaition Technology,;Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau; Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and other key stakeholders to work with the Flight Standards Group of NCAA to look into the proposed policy framework and make sure it align with global standards and project Nigeria interest to be a leader in the UAS space.
Following the report release by Mr Fortune Idu, the Chairman of Dronetecx and the coordinator of the National Framework, the group has been engaging extensively, both locally and internationally, to achieve the result mandated by the Minister of Aviation. Mr 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 commenced an international exchange with European counterparts through a workshop held at Munich Airport International (MAI) focused 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 safe, scalable unmanned aviation systems.
