Drones: NUSA vows not to compromise safety – AVM Idowu

By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

The president of Nigeria Unmanned Systems and Robotics Association (NUSA), Air Vice Marshal Olufemi Idowu (retd) says, the body will continue to liaise with appropriate Nigeria licensing authorities to ensure that safety is not compromised while operating drones

Speaking at a safety Seminar held at the NIGAV Centre Murtala Mohammad International Airport Ikeja, with the theme ‘Safety and risk management for unmanned aircraft operations’ and AVM Idowu, explained that NUSA will ensure that interested members or would-be members were duly licensed by the NCAA in order to sustain safety in the airspace while fostering development on the private unmanned system.

“Today, NUSA as part of its commitment to the safe and responsible use of unmanned aircraft in Nigeria is hosting this seminar to better educate members on safety and risk management in unmanned aircraft operations”

He revealed that the organisation was striving hard with a specific target to reach non-members of NUSA especially the unlicensed ones whose operations may likely constitute a safety hazard in the national airspace.

AVM Idowu, further explained that NUSA will not encourage unauthorised operators in order to continue ensuring safety in the airspace. We serve as a body of knowledge on unmanned systems for government regulatory bodies as well as interested stakeholders and end users of unmanned systems, especially remotely piloted aircraft systems”.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of Dronteck and host of the seminar, Mr Fortune Idu, said NUSA is an NGO duly recognised by the NCAA as a body founded to foster, develop and promote unmanned vehicle systems and robotics technologies in the country.

Idu said the UAS and the autonomous vehicle industry has continued to grow in an exponential rate with the country left behind adding that the emerging industry remained a game changer with huge potential to create jobs in software and hardware engineering while empowering other sectors to deliver speed and efficiency.

Idu however lamented that drones entrepreneurship has continued to pose major safety challenges worldwide.

He noted that the vertical control which comes from regulation and monitoring was not completely firmed and harmonised with the regular aviation or manned aircraft system and Airspace was being developed.

“This is a very sensitive window that can lead to disaster which should be a safety concern to all. As this industry continues to grow fast, so also the risk that comes with unsafe operations”.