The African Development Bank (AfDB) and Japanese drone technology company, Aerosense Inc., have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to advance cooperation on drone-based solutions for infrastructure and development projects across Africa.
The agreement was formalised on August 21, 2025, during the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan. It was signed by AfDB Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization, Solomon Quaynor, and Aerosense Inc. President and CEO, Kohtaro Sabe.
According to AfDB, the partnership aims to promote sustainable infrastructure solutions, including efficient road maintenance, through innovative drone technology. It also covers co-financing, knowledge sharing, and coordination of actions to drive project implementation.
Aerosense’s drone solution was selected in June 2025 under AfDB’s Sustainable Road Maintenance Program for Africa (SRMPA), which seeks to enhance road management and reduce infrastructure costs across the continent.
Under the deal, AfDB will facilitate public sector coordination, lead awareness campaigns, support capacity building for local partners, and explore financing options for drone-related projects. Aerosense will conduct demand and technical feasibility studies in African markets and assess deployment opportunities.
Commenting on the agreement, Quaynor said:
“The program is a bold response to Africa’s growing infrastructure challenges. By partnering with Aerosense, we aim to promote efficient road management and explore other applications such as disaster response, flood control, agricultural monitoring, and medical equipment delivery.”
Sabe added: “It is a great honor to serve the people in Africa with our Japanese technology to enhance quality of life. We look forward to collaborating with AfDB to build a better future in a concrete way."
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