David Opateyibo is a 17-year-old student who led a team of Lagos State Polytechnic students to produce Nigeria’s first prototype of a drone. The drone, which authorities in Lagos hope to deploy for security surveillance, is the country’s first locally made drone.
David Opateyibo is a member of Nigeria Unmanned Systems and Robotics Association (NUSA). He attended an aviation school where he studied aircraft building technology. After David graduated from aviation school, his school partnered with Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) where the former governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode was present to witness the drone been built. David’s aviation school and LASPOTECH worked together to build an aircraft that would be used in the training of future pilots in Nigeria.
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Even though Opateyibo was a student, the opportunity allowed David Opateyibo to pilot Nigeria’s first prototype of a drone. He was one of the associate instructors chosen to participate in building the first aircraft, STOL CH750 at Zenith Aircraft Company in Missouri, USA. David is excited about the potential for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Nigeria and is working to promote their use. David believes that UAVs can be used for many applications including surveillance, mapping, and even delivery of goods.
David is a US certified drone pilot, he has a remote pilot/drone license from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), USA. This is an incredible accomplishment for someone so young and underscores David Opateyibo’s commitment to his education and his future. Despite David has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a high functioning form of autism, his story is remarkable because he has been able to overcome many obstacles, including his diagnosis, to make impact in the the society.
