Nigeria is on the brink of a significant aviation milestone as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) announces that the country’s first locally manufactured helicopter is nearing completion and will soon take to the skies.
According to Engr. Kareem Aduagba, Project Manager at NASENI’s Aeronautics and Air Vehicle Development Institute, substantial progress has been made on the indigenous aircraft, which will be officially designated as the “Nigerian Chopper.”
“What we are doing now is not reinventing the wheel,” Aduagba explained. “We have one of our projects that started from the ground up, including the Made-in-Nigeria helicopter and some Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).”
The project has involved acquiring aircraft components from developed countries in Semi Knock Down (SKD) and Complete Knock Down (CKD) forms. NASENI’s team of engineers is using scientific and technical expertise to assemble and modify these components.
“Very soon, we will conduct the first test flight of the Made-in-Nigeria helicopter as we approach the final stages of development,” Aduagba confirmed, signaling that this historic maiden flight is imminent.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
