An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone is an aircraft without a human pilot aboard. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Drones operate with various degrees of autonomy either under remote control by a human operator or autonomously by onboard computers.
Compared to manned aircraft, UAVs were originally used for missions too dull, dirty or dangerous for humans. UAV innovations started in the early 1900s and originally focused on providing practice targets for training military personnel. While they originated mostly in military applications, their use is rapidly expanding to commercial, scientific, recreational, agricultural purposes such as policing, peacekeeping, surveillance, cargo deliveries, aerial photography, agriculture, smuggling, film making, oil and gas exploration and drone racing.
Although, unverified, it was reported that drones were found in Nigeria around November 2015. ]
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is yet to publish any standards and recommended practices as far as certification and operation of civil use of drones is concerned. Therefore, in an attempt to regulate the operation of drones, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in May 2016 issued some safety regulations. The regulations are to the effect that no government agency, organisation or an individual will launch 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).
It also provides that all applicants, operators and holders of permits to operate drones must strictly be guided by safety guidelines and with the conditions stipulated in their permits. Violators are to be sanctioned according to the dictates of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
It has however been argued that the regulations in place operate more as an absolute ban of the use of drones in Nigeria owing to the fact that the requirements for obtaining the Permit for Aerial Aviation Services (PAAS) is cumbersome. A part of the condition set by the NCAA stipulates that potential drone permit applicants must have a business incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with a minimum share capital of ₦20,000,000. It is also required that a personal history statement at the State Security Service Head Quarters is purchased in Abuja for a non-refundable fee of ₦500,000 after which the permit is to be issued by the Air Transport Licensing Committee once the NSA gives security clearance after 6 months.
In practice, it would appear that the regulations of the NCAA are honored in breach than in compliance, as private and unlicensed individuals without the PAAS have continued to fly their drones and go about their normal business. Also, due to the fact that the NCAA is yet to have a structured model, some operators have been able to get their permits for a fee as low as N30, 000.
The NCAA in July 2017 has however announced plans to issue new regulations for the licensing of drones for commercial and private purposes into the national airspace system.
Most developed countries around the world have very stringent laws guiding the use of drones and Nigeria should not be an exception especially considering the issue of terrorism, and other crimes that can be committed with the aid of a drone, the concerns for safety are legitimate, reasonable and quite understandable.
