The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that, despite the widespread use of drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs), none have been officially certified for operation within the country.
This revelation was made by Engr. Godwin Balang, Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards at the NCAA, during the fifth Drone Technology Expo and Conference held at the NIGAV Expo Centre, Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
“There is no single drone that falls under the certified category in Nigeria,” Balang stated.
“The implication of that is that you now have to set the rules, know how to control the operations of that category of that aircraft that are not certified and because they are not certified, there are no written standards anywhere.”
He emphasized the challenges posed by the lack of certification, including difficulties in pilot certification and associated security concerns.
“If we do understand that, then, some of the things that are happening will not come as a surprise.”
“The difficulty in certification, the difficulty in getting pilots certified and the security challenges that come with that, they all fall within that category of context. But, as a country, we have the responsibility to do something about it,” he added.
Balang also addressed misconceptions regarding the cost of drone registration, clarifying that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) stipulate a registration fee of only N5,000, contrary to claims of N3 million.
He further noted the absence of harmonized global standards for drone evaluation, stating, “As of seven to eight years ago, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex on drones has not yet come up.”
“However, coming off the annex does not make any difference because the annex is targeted at certified aircraft.”
Regarding the evolving regulatory landscape, Balang remarked, “When we came in, we had an advisory circular to help do something about this. Before laws are written, people are already doing what they are doing.”
“Some of the countries that were already issuing licences are in reverse. For instance, South Africa used to issue, but they have reversed it now.”
Additionally, he highlighted that the minimum requirement for Rate of Climb (ROC) for drones is N800,000, as provided in the Nig.CARs 2023 regulations.
The NCAA’s 2017 regulations mandate that any person lawfully entitled to possess an RPA in Nigeria must register it if it has a gross mass of 250 grams or more and hold a valid certificate of registration.
