The use of drones and other Remotely Piloted Aircrafts (RPAs) in Nigeria will require permits in order to ensure the safety of the local airspace, according to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

The NCAA has confirmed it will regulate the usage of drones in the country in conjunction with the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA).

A statement issued by on behalf of the NCAA by the authority's General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, 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."

The usage of drones in Nigeria has been popularised by the increase in the number of drone companies and those using drones for recreational and other purposes.

Movie directors are deploying videos to take aerial shots while Yudala, a major ecommerce company in Nigeria, is also making moves to deploy drones to deliver orders to its customers.

Yudala Marketing Manager Afam Anyika says, "I must state that Nigeria is indeed ripe for such an initiative. However, government must do its bit in easing the path through a clear policy statement or regulation on their use... We have made a few more short-distance deliveries as part of our test-runs of the drones. Presently, we are working with some of our technical partners in Asia and Europe to expand the carrying capacities of these devices, while also liaising with the local regulatory authorities on the modalities before full implementation."

NCAA affirmed that it decided to introduce the regulation in order to temporarily fill the vacuum created by the non-existence of standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

"Therefore, no government agency, organisation 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. The NCAA wishes to reiterate that all applicants and holders of permits to operate RPA/Drones must strictly be guided by safety guidelines," NCAA stated.