Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9): African Development Bank and Aerosense Inc sign Letter of Intent (LOI) to advance cooperation and projects in drone technology in Africa

 

The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and Aerosense Inc have signed an agreement to advance cooperation and projects in drone technology in Africa. Aerosense Inc. is a leading Japanese company engaged in drone manufacturing.

Representatives of both institutions signed a Letter of Intent on Thursday 21 August, on the sidelines of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama, Japan. The agreement was signed by Mr. Solomon Quaynor, Vice President  for Private Sector, Infrastructure&Industrialization, AfDB and Mr. Kohtaro Sabe, President&CEO, Aerosense Inc.

The agreement formalizes a relationship of mutual co-operation, assistance, information and knowledge sharing between the two institutions, exploring co-financing and deal opportunities and appropriate coordination of actions between them and their respective teams, specifically concerning the promotion of sustainable infrastructure solutions in Africa.

Aerosense Inc.’s drone solution was selected through a call for proposals under the African Development Bank’s Sustainable Road Maintenance Program for Africa (SRMPA) in June 2025.

Under the agreement, the Bank will facilitate coordination with the public sector, lead awareness-raising campaigns, support capacity building for local partners, and explore possible debt (and/or equity) financing support for projects related to the deployment of drone solutions.

Aerosense Inc. on its part, would conduct demand studies for drone solution in target African markets, perform technical feasibility studies for the application of drone solution, considering local geographical conditions, and explore possible deployment opportunities upon positive feasibility study results.

“The program is a bold response to Africa’s growing infrastructure challenges. 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,” Quaynor said.

Mr. Sabe stated: “It is a great honor to serve the people in Africa with our Japanese technology for enhancing their quality of life. We are looking forward to collaborating with AfDB to build a better future together in a concrete manner”.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contact:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
Communication and External Relations Department
Email: media@afdb.org

About Aerosense Inc.:
Established in 2015. With the mission of “bringing about change and contributing to society with drone technology”, we are developing unique hardware and software solutions created from high technological capabilities in the fields of surveying, inspection, monitoring, and logistics. We make full use of our in-house development system, from hardware design to cloud data analysis, and provide a “One push solution” that allows on-site people to easily proceed with their work with the touch of a button.

Website: Aerosense Inc. HP: https://Aerosense.co.jp/

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org