Niger drones aims high

Lifetime aerospace enthusiast, Abdoulaziz Kountché, runs Drone Africa Service, providing vital missions for NGOs and also for Niger’s companies and authorities, writes Vincent Chappard.

Abdoulaziz Kountché: “Drones are a sensitive business that require experience and authorisation to operate effectively.” Picture: DAS.

He founded his company in 2016 and he now works with a variety of partners including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Red Cross, and the Niger authorities.

“We work with state partners and NGOs and that’s what makes us strong,” he explained. “Drones are a sensitive business that require experience and authorisation to operate effectively.”

Drone Africa Service develops and produces its own range of airborne vehicles that can operate in harsh environments, such as the Sahel region that comprises portions of 10 African countries. Kountché also intends to operate in the small freight sector, particularly in medicine, where speed is vital.

“We are gearing-up to fly very long distances with vital loads so countries in the region must adapt their regulations to this type of activity,” he said.