Pius Nsabe
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central has launched a transformative empowerment programme that trained and equipped 250 individuals and institutions with drones, laptops, and technical tools to boost innovation and socio-economic development.
In a statement shared on her verified Facebook page, the suspended senator described the initiative as “Done, Dusted and Droned,” noting that drone technology represents a new frontier for global development and that Nigeria must embrace its potential to lead Africa in innovation.
“Our office freely trained and distributed 80 drones to individuals and learning institutions, thereby raising Nigeria’s standard as an African leader in innovative capacity-building technologies,” she wrote.
Participants were trained on how drones can be applied beyond photography and videography, exploring uses in construction, oil and gas, agriculture, delivery services, environmental monitoring, geographical mapping, and telecommunications.
To promote academic innovation, Akpoti-Uduaghan extended invitations to the Departments of Geology and Environmental Science across 10 tertiary institutions nationwide, gifting a drone to each present institution. Beneficiaries included Federal College of Education, Okene; Kogi State University, Anyigba; Federal University, Lokoja; Federal Polytechnic, Idah; University of Ilorin; Bayero University, Kano; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; and Federal University of Science and Technology, Minna. Two schools — Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, and Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja — were invited but absent.
Additional beneficiaries came from states including Zamfara, Ondo, Oyo, Delta, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Abia, Imo, and Akwa Ibom. She noted that all distributed drones comply with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regulations, each weighing under 250 grams.
The empowerment drive also included the distribution of 70 HP laptops for data analytics, 50 engineering toolboxes with safety kits, and 50 welding machines with safety kits.
“This is for the love of education and development. Only the best would do,” she wrote, dedicating the programme’s success to God.