The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Aerosense Inc., a leading Japanese drone manufacturer, have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to advance the use of drone technology for sustainable infrastructure and development projects across Africa.
According to a statement from AfDB on Monday the agreement was formalized on Thursday, on the sidelines of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama.
The partnership aims to leverage Aerosense’s cutting-edge drone solutions to address some of the continent’s most pressing infrastructure challenges.
Meanwhile, the collaboration will go beyond initial plans for road maintenance to explore applications in disaster management, flood control, agricultural monitoring, and even medical equipment delivery.
“This program is a bold response to Africa’s growing infrastructure challenges,” said Mr. Solomon Quaynor, Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization at the AfDB.
“By partnering with Aerosense, we will not only promote efficient road management but also consider promoting other unique solutions such as disaster management, river/flooding control, agricultural sensing, and medical equipment delivery.” He added
Aerosense Inc.’s drone solution was selected in June 2025 through a call for proposals under the African Development Bank’s Sustainable Road Maintenance Program for Africa (SRMPA).
This program is part of the bank’s broader strategy to promote innovative infrastructure technology, or “InfraTech,” to build safer and more resilient roads.
Under the new agreement, the AfDB will facilitate coordination with African governments, lead awareness campaigns, support capacity building for local partners, and explore potential debt and equity financing to support the deployment of these drone solutions.
In turn, Aerosense Inc. will conduct demand and technical feasibility studies in target African markets, taking local geographical conditions into account.
Drones have already proven their value in various sectors, from delivering medical supplies in hard-to-reach areas of Rwanda and Ghana to surveying power lines and mining operations in other regions.
This new collaboration between the AfDB and Aerosense Inc. is expected to significantly scale up the use of this transformative technology, creating a foundation for sustainable development and economic growth across the continent.
