What You Should Know Before Buying A Drone In Nigeria

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are aircraft which carries no passenger aboard. Nowadays, drones come in different shapes, sizes and their function varies. They can be operated by using remotes or on-board computers.

DRONE APPLICATIONS

Drones are used in various ways across the world today; here are few areas where drones can be used.

Security

The current security crisis in Nigeria is disheartening. There exist irreconcilable social, economic and political grievances among ethnic groups in the country. Distinctive groups engage in criminal activities, people use violence to settle issues, and child rape cases are increasing daily. Northern Nigeria has been taking by the militant Islamist movement Boko Haram. Farmers fear to go to their farms as they continually clash with herdsmen over land use and overgrazing.

Violence has soared in Nigeria and this is where drones come in to save the day. Drones can be used by authorities, military, police, and many experts across the country to protect lives. It can be used for crime identification, anti-terror operations, and protection against rioting.

Monitoring

Drones can help provide an overview during large social events and public demonstrations in real time. It helps in monitoring critical infrastructures, power lines, pipeline installations, floods etc.

Aerial Video and Photography

In the past year or two, there have been major developments in aerial video and photography. Drones equipped with High Definition camera enables you to capture unique perspectives of different subjects. It helps you take intriguing photographs and shoot videos of extraordinary quality.



Most at times, planes and helicopters are restricted not to fly below 300 feet in certain areas but drones are not.
Remember, there is a drone photography community called Dronestagram where photographers are giving the opportunity to share their images and the platform also holds sponsored contests.

DRONE LAWS IN NIGERIA

In 2016, a post published by Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) provided safety guidelines on how drones should be operated in Nigeria.

The statement reads “In recent times, RPA/UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are being deployed for commercial and recreational purposes in the country without adequate security clearance.

“Therefore with the preponderance of these operations, particularly in a non-segregated airspace, there has to be proactive safety guidelines.

“The development of the use of RPA nationwide has emerged with somewhat predictable safety concerns and security threats.

“Therefore, no government agency, organization or an individual will launch an RPA/UAV in the Nigerian airspace for any purpose whatsoever without obtaining requisite permit from the NCAA and ONSA.”

Our advice is before buying a drone or if you own one and resides in Nigeria; check the law to avoid paying huge sum of money as a fine for disobedience.