The Federal Government of Nigeria says it is using drones to create a 3D view of Abuja, following a partnership with the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGOF) and PLACE, a U.S.-based geospatial firm.
In a statement seen by Technology Times, the OSGOF says it is launching the landmark drone imagery acquisition project, marking the first high-resolution 3D city mapping initiative of its kind in Africa.
The collaboration aims to create a detailed digital twin of parts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, using drone technology capable of capturing ground sample distances (GSD) as precise as 5 centimeters – a resolution eight times sharper than typical commercial satellite imagery.
The collaboration aims to create a detailed digital twin of parts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, using drone technology capable of capturing ground sample distances (GSD) as precise as 5 centimeters – a resolution eight times sharper than typical commercial satellite imagery.
The project builds on earlier efforts by local firms such as Geoinfotech, which has provided drone surveying and GIS mapping services throughout Nigeria, including topographic and cadastral surveys in states like Kwara and Kogi, according to the OSGOF.
However, the OSGOF-PLACE initiative represents a significant leap forward, leveraging advanced drone systems and anonymised street-level data to generate immersive 3D models of Abuja’s urban landscape.
The PLACE drones will collect aerial data with a 5cm ground sample distance, far exceeding the 40–50cm resolution of widely used satellite imagery from providers such as Google and Apple. This precision enables accurate mapping of property boundaries, land use patterns, and infrastructure, including road networks and building heights.
Abduganiyu Adebomehin, Nigeria’s Surveyor-General, says the 3D visualization will allow stakeholders to “appreciate the height of buildings vis-à-vis roads” and resolve disputes over land and infrastructure claims.
“It’s going to be new in Africa and it’s the data that you will be happy having yourself when you look at the building footprint, you see the building standing the way they are , the road network you can appreciate the height of the building vis-a-vis the road.”
Abduganiyu Adebomehin, Nigeria’s Surveyor-General.
Frank Pichel, Partner for Field Operations at PLACE, underscores the project’s transformative potential: “The data unlocks vast opportunities for automating government services and fostering innovation in the private sector.” Applications encompass machine learning models to classify road surfaces, monitor changes in urban environments, and optimise transportation planning.
Adebomehin highlights the project’s novelty in Africa, noting it began after nearly two years of planning. “This isn’t theoretical—it’s practical. You’ll see buildings and roads exactly as they are,” he says during the inauguration. He praises both teams for their persistence, stating, “We refused to take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Pichel says the data’s utility is “limited only by imagination,” with potential applications ranging from urban development and disaster management to business analytics.
The project aligns with Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda, which includes recent initiatives such as the Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP) and the National EdTech Strategy.
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