FG Drives National Policy Direction for Drone Industry

Nigeria has taken a decisive step towards structuring its rapidly expanding drone ecosystem with the commencement of a national policy direction for the unmanned aviation industry.

The move follows a directive by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barrister Festus Keyamo, mandating the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to begin developing a comprehensive policy framework to guide Unmanned Aerial Systems operations nationwide.

The national policy direction is designed to complement the existing Remote Piloted Aircraft System regulation under Nig. CARs Part 21. However, its broader aim is to bring coherence to a sector that has grown quickly following a liberalised registration and oversight regime introduced by the current administration. That approach deliberately positioned drones as a tool for job creation, innovation and youth participation across multiple economic sectors.

Across Nigeria, drones are increasingly deployed for agricultural spraying, aerial surveys, infrastructure inspection, filmmaking and digital content production. Meanwhile, this rapid adoption has exposed regulatory and commercial gaps that a structured national policy direction is expected to address. By defining roles, responsibilities and operational pathways, the framework seeks to ensure safe growth while unlocking the industry’s full commercial potential.

The approval to proceed with the policy framework emerged from recommendations contained in the Dronetex 2024/2025 conference report.