Skypixels eyes new creative edge with large-scale drone show
Skypixels, an indigenous tech company, has unveiled Nigeria’s first large-scale drone light show, ushering in a new era of aerial digital displays powered by cutting-edge drone technology and signalling a
Skypixels, an indigenous tech company, has unveiled Nigeria’s first large-scale drone light show, ushering in a new era of aerial digital displays powered by cutting-edge drone technology and signalling a bold shift in entertainment, advertising, and storytelling experiences.
As part of the soft launch, Skypixels brought together a fleet of 1,000 drones, each equipped with GPS and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning systems that ensure precision, stability, and synchronisation during flight.
At the event held at Lagos Polo Club, Ikoyi, Lagos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Skypixels, Rotimi Makanjuola, said the launch marked a defining moment in Nigeria’s creative and technology landscape.
According to him, the innovation is the next stage in advancing entertainment technology because while fireworks offer bursts of colour and sound, drone shows deliver far more dynamic and programmable experiences.
He said: “What we have here tonight is called a drone show. If you look at past innovations, we used to have fireworks, which people use during most celebrations. The use of fireworks has its own safety concerns aside the impact on the environment. So, there has been a shift from that entertainment style into something that is more contemporary and modern.
“The advantage of is drones are used to do something similar to fireworks but even more than what the firework does. Fireworks can just give you some colour displays and sounds but this is able to give you graphics and text and in an animated way as well. These are GPS-enabled drones, with ROTK that hooks up a GPS that enables it to have stability during flight. So, you need the programmers who would work on the sequence, or flight path that it is going to take”.
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Explaining further, he said the drones could be programmed for various purposes and events.
“So, the question is: how come they do not collide? It is because each of them has been programmed to have its own flight sequence and you’re able to come up with the choreography. In other words, how do you want it to move in the sky, maybe like a flashing text, graphics, image, or you can come up with other designs as well and it is available for government agencies, non-government organisations, corporate entities and even individuals. For instance, you have a celebration or event, say 10th anniversary, for instance, to celebrate, you could have the logo up in the air with a formation for a maximum period of about 20 minutes. And it also depends on the number of minutes you want it to also run or number of drones as well,” Makanjuola said.
According to him, drones are being used in different sectors, including agriculture, construction, security, cleaning of solar panels, buildings and more, and now available in advertising, events, especially during festive periods like Ramadan, Easter, Children’s Day, Independence Day and more.
“We’re happy to be the first company in Nigeria to have over 1,000 drones and we can create pictures and it’s a new way of advancing the technology that is going on around the world. Not many people have seen it before. That’s why we’re quite excited to launch this. This goes to about 200 feet,” Makanjoula said.
Programme Coordinator, Skypixels, Mr. Ese Obukonise, explained that each drone is assigned a unique trajectory, eliminating the risk of mid-air collisions even when hundreds operate simultaneously.
“People often wonder how 1,000 drones can fly together without crashing. The answer lies in programming. Each drone has its own sequence, and when combined, they create a seamless choreography in the sky. This choreography allows for complex formations, ranging from corporate logos and celebratory messages to intricate animated visuals that transform the night sky into a digital canvas,” Obukonise said.
He said the company operates under approvals from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and engages with agencies such as the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Security Adviser’s office to operate the UAVs.
He added that beyond its visual appeal, drone light shows offer significant environmental and safety advantages over traditional fireworks.
“You know the fireworks will definitely leave their marks on the environment, emissions in terms of smoke and fumes, but this has no emissions and another advantage is regarding sustainability. We have the flight limits and you have to do your geo fencing, among others. And even before you come to site, you need to carry out some checks, for weather and other things that could impact your flight. Then another we also go the extra mile to also work with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) just to ensure that this doesn’t affect flight parts for aircraft. Like I said earlier, we also have the height ceiling and geofencing to ensure the drone doesn’t stray and will return if there is an issue,” Obukonise said.
