In early May, Nigerian authorities banned the unauthorised launch of drones into the country’s airspace. Officials have declared that commercial and recreational drone operators will now only be able to fly the miniature aerial vehicles if they hold permits from both the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
This does, however, come with a catch – a US$4 000 price tag. The cost is not only ten times more than that of an entry level drone itself but is also an 800% increase, compared to the US$5 charge to register drones in the US.
The payment includes a non-refundable processing fee of US$2 500 – after which a security clearance will need to be secured and once granted, permits will be valid for three years at an annual utilisation fee of US$500. According to a Quartz Africa report, new regulations will also require Nigerian businesses with ambitions of being drone operators to have registered companies with a minimum share capital of US$100 000.
