Stories by Louis Ibah

What is a drone
Within the military, they are called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems, (RPAS). But they are more commonly known within the civil society as drones.
Drones are predominately deployed  in situations where manned aircraft (with pilots) is considered too risky or difficult. Drones can stay aloft for up to 17 hours at a time, loitering over an area and sending back real-time imagery of activities on the ground making them good spy machines.     A typical drone is made of light composite materials to reduce weight and increase maneuverability. This composite material strength allows military drones to cruise at extremely high altitudes. Drones are equipped with different state of the art technology such as infra-red cameras(military UAV), GPS and laser (military UAV). Drones can be controlled by remote control system or a ground cockpit.
Drones in Nigeria
Contrary to news making the rounds in the country, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has not banned the use of drones for civil activities outside it’s more popular use within the military. Rather, the NCAA having noted the proliferation of the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) only sought to regulate it’s uses in the interest of national safety and security. One only needs to imagine an unregulated drone flying on the same flight path and creating confusion for a pilot of a commercial aircraft with passengers or even colliding or causing an air accident. The NCAA has therefore put in place Regulations to guide the certification and operations of civil RPA and UAVs in the Nigerian airspace.
It therefore follows that, no government agency, organisation or an individual will launch an RPA/UAV in the Nigerian airspace for any purpose whatsoever without obtaining requisite approvals/permit from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Office of National Security Adviser (NSA).
How to get drones permit
For a successful issuance of a drones permit, applicants have to visit the NCAA office in Lagos or Abuja and ask for a copy of the ‘Guidelines and Requirements For Grant Of Permit For Aerial Aviation Services (PAAS)’. This guideline should come with a set of application forms. Your application requires you to draft a cover letter to the Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) stating your proposed use of your Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), the type and model configuration and frequency of use within the Nigerian Airspace.
It is also expected that your business is incorporated with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
For the purpose of the appropriate due diligence by the office of the National Security Adviser, (NSA) applicants are also required to fill out the Personal History Statement (PHS) at the headquarters of the DSS in Abuja. The NCAA requires a non-refundable processing fee of N500,000 bank draft payable to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. All this must be done six months prior to your targeted date of use/ operation of your ‘commercial’ drones. Finally, your PRAS will be issued by the Air Transport Licensing Committee (ATLC) once your Security Clearance is made by the NSA. The drone certificate issued is valid for three years with an annual utilisation fee of N100,000.
Oando gets first done permit
Oando Plc recently become the first private establishment to be issued a licence to operate a  drone in the Nigerian airspace.
A statement by the NCAA said Oando Reservoir and Production Services Limited, a subsidiary of Oando Plc had been issued the first Remotely Piloted Aircraft/Drones (RPAS) operators certificate having satisfied the requirements and found competent to secure the safe operation of the aircraft type Lockheed Martins SN 248-255.
The certificate will enable the oil firm to legally deploy the drones on flights with the purpose of aerial work, specifically for environmental observation, monitoring and protection in its area of operations.
Below are some non-military uses of drones, and for which Nigerians who have the wherewithal to get the NCAA licence can deploy drones.
These days, many individual entrepreneurs, small business and large company’s are putting drones  to good use.  In fact, drones have become an inexpensive and accessible way to help accomplish many task.
Safety inspections
Drones can provide faster access to high-quality, real-time visual inspection for all types of utility company’s that need to inspect power lines, oil and gas pipelines, transmission towers, buildings and bridges, wind turbines and rotor blades enabling the inspector or team to access the information from a safe position.
The inspection of complex infrastructure will benefit from regular aerial monitoring. The ability to sense in three dimensions, take thermal readings, and to detect metal strain will greatly improve infrastructure inspection. Small drones that can hover and get close will provide a new level of detail to improve performance.
Agriculture
Agricultural use of drones could comprise 80per cent of the market. The reasons include the need to closely monitor crops to improve management and yield, the need to do this more regularly and cheaply, and the environment of private land with little threat to others. Near-infrared sensors can be tuned to detect crop health, letting farmers react and improve conditions locally with inputs of fertilizer or insecticide.
Law-enforcement
Helps with crowd surveillance and public safety, help in monitoring criminal activity, Crime scene and fire investigations. In Nigeria, drones can be deployed to monitor large gatherings at markets, sports, church and cinemas and ensure that criminals or  terrorists do not infiltrate such gatherings. Drones can also be used for patrol of borders to monitor smugglers of banned goods, illegal migrants and drugs.
Construction sites
The monitoring from above of construction project sites provides a new input during all phases of a project life cycle. Aerial photography is done now for only the largest projects, however the input would be used more widely and more frequently if more readily accessible. The ability to quickly model from above in 3D with increasing precision will provide a important way to check on projects, compare to plans, as well as better coordination of materials on the job site.
Journalism, filming and aerial photography
Drones are starting to be used in sports photography and cinematography. They were used in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi for filming skiing and snowboarding events. Another group considering using drones is journalists who deploy it  to collect footage and information for use in live broadcast. It can be used in many ways to capture videos and photographs. Aerial photography for the real estate market is becoming more popular also with drones.
Disaster management
After a natural or man made disaster, a drone provides a quick means to gather information, navigate debris with a portable and useful technology that doesn’t drown out cries for help, and that can be deployed by teams that are working a specific area. Equipped with high definition cameras and radars, drones can give rescuers access to a higher field of view without the need for wasting resources on manned helicopters.
And, because of their small size, they can provide a close-up view of areas where larger aerial vehicles would prove perilous or inefficient.

Related News