“The World Bank is proud to support these promising startups as they gain momentum and continue to push their business ideas forward.
By participating in the African Drone Forum, entrepreneurs will get exposure to both local and global players within the drone industry,” said Yasser El-Gammal, World Bank Country Manager in Rwanda, the host country for the African Drone Forum.
Finalists were selected from a competitive pool of almost 150 submissions from 31 African countries. Applicants were asked to provide business concepts that focused on leveraging drone technology to generate new business opportunities.
Proposals were evaluated by a panel of local and international judges and scored based on several factors including the potential for growth and sustainability, focus on using drones for social good, and the economic empowerment of African communities. The award is sponsored by UK Aid/DfiD and the World Bank.
10 African startups were selected as finalists for the first African Drone Business Challenge, the finalists represented 9 African countries – Nigeria, Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Nigerian startup Global Air Drone Academy (GADA) emerged as the winner of the grand prize of £20,000 in the first ‘African Drone Business Challenge’, hosted by the African Drone Forum (ADF) in Rwanda.
Founded by Nigerian Eno Umoh and American Austin Brown, Global Air Drone Academy is a non-profit drone education and training organization.
The organization is dedicated to providing STEM-based, hands-on learning experiences that introduce youth and adults to the exciting world of drone technology.
Jessica Brown, Development and Grants Manager for the Global Air Drone Academy says that the prize money will be used to construct a permanent drone training, education and research centre in Lagos, Nigeria.
Since 2016 the institute has trained over 6,000 students in 400+ schools, and in 8 countries worldwide
