African first Drone and Data Academy opened in Malawi

Yamikani Phiri

The first African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA)has opened in Malawi, UNICEF has announce Monday, Jan 13.

In its statement, UNICEF said the move is part of efforts to promote the use of drones in programs and services that will impact the lives of children and young people.

“Humanitarian and development program delivery in Africa and beyond can benefit significantly from the application of drone technology,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore in the statement.

According to Fore, the ADDA will be instrumental in equipping young people with the skills they need to use the technology to benefit children and their communities.

He said building on the work of Africa’s first humanitarian corridor which was launched in Malawi in 2017, the academy will develop expertise in the use of drones for humanitarian, development and commercial purposes across the continent through a 12-week course.

According to him the projects plans to train approximately 150 students to build and pilot drones by 2021 as UNICEF’s partners will provide free tuition to the first cohort of 26 students from across Africa of which16 students are from Malawi and 10 from across Africa with more than half of students (55 per cent) women with undergraduate degrees in science, technology or engineering.

Director of Malawi’s Department of Civil Aviation, James Chakwera, said in their country they strongly believe that adopting modern technologies such as drones and advanced data analysis and management techniques will help them to serve their children better.

The curriculum is said to have been developed in partnership with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) following its successful delivery of training workshops in Malawi since 2017.

The course will combine theoretical and practical methodologies in making, testing and flying drones.

By 2022, the academy will run a tuition-free two-year master’s degree program in drone technology, in conjunction with Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST).

It will also deliver a curriculum that will build local capacity and a favorable ecosystem for the emergence of sustainable business models for using drones for humanitarian and development missions, according to the statement.

“The ADDA reflects Virginia Tech’s ongoing commitment to the innovative application of drone technology and education in Malawi and the Africa region,” said Kevin Kochersberger, associate professor at Virginia Tech who will lead the project.

The academy will give graduates the necessary skills for jobs using drone applications ranging from agriculture and health to natural resources monitoring.