The Nigerian capital of Abuja is set to have a digital twin soon, after the federal government announced the launch a pioneering drone survey project, aimed at creating digital maps of the city, a development which will be a groundbreaking first for the country.

The news came out following a statement issues by the country’s Surveyor General’s office last week, which stated that the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) has briefed Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the relevant stakeholders of its plans to commence the digital drone mapping of Abuja after obtaining the necessary clearance from Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the military.

The project, which was scheduled to start this week and be carried out over a timespan of three weeks, aims to advance land surveying and geospatial capabilities. With the growing importance of accurate geospatial data, this initiative will help modernise surveying practices and support urban planning and development efforts, the surveyor general’s office said.

It will utilise drone technology to capture 3D representations of buildings, providing an accurate and real-time digital model of the city’s landscape.

“The beauty of it is, once you have mapping in 3D, there’s a lot you can do with it,” said Surveyor General Abduganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin.

“In fact, there was one show that they (demonstrated a drone) for agriculture. It went on to water almost six acres of land. No human being would do that, but the drone could. So all you need to do is to lace this with another device, and the system goes wet and come back. The same thing, you want to till the land, you need a tractor, and you program it. It does all that.”

There will also be collaboration with international experts, which will provide the technical support needed to process the data, further enhancing the country’s ability to leverage the latest technologies in geospatial information management.

The project is also aligned with the country’s broader goals of sustainable development, as surveying plays a key role in achieving fourteen of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Aside from this planned project, Nigeria has recently trained over 100 personnel for drone technology readiness, through collaborations with the United Nations. The newly skilled staff will serve as focal points for the surveyor general’s office’s continued modernisation efforts.

“I want to say a big thank you to our partners, FCDA and to our consultant on this project, having found time to come and take us through this new technology,” Adebomehim said.

“We have the prototype of this drone and we have permit to fly it, but this is massive away from what we used to do. I am happy that NCAA is coming to be part of it, irrespective of the fact that we are partners.

“Furthermore, the office has made strides in creating a National Repository of Metadata for gathering and handling geospatial data and is working to support federal ministries with mapping and geo-spatial information services.”

A review of the Survey Coordination Act of Nigeria may also be beneficial to ensure that the office operates with the most relevant and effective legal framework, he added.

If successful, this project could pave the way for similar mapping initiatives in other Nigerian cities, while also serving as a model for other African countries. It would further enhance the country’s geospatial capabilities and support its urban development goals.