By Amadou Jadama
Telecom giant Africell, the leading network in The Gambia, on Wednesday night staged the first ever drone show in the country, showcasing 320 drones in total.
Drone shows serve as a modern alternative to firework displays.
The ceremony, held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre, also witnessed the celebration of the 248th Independence of the United States of America.
Speaking to The Standard, Musa Sise, a senior Africell official, said this is the first time Africell is involved in the celebrations of United States independence anniversary and the second drone show in Africa being done in The Gambia.
“Most of the people here said this is the first time to see a drone show in their lives, and we are very happy to bring that to Gambian people. This is about new technology, and it has taken us to the next level. We are talking about artificial intelligence which is coming with some speed and is something that we should all be worried about. But for us, it is about embracing it, by looking at the advantages and making sure that we use it to the best of our ability,” he said.
“We hope that we, as people in The Gambia and the authorities, would embrace it quickly by putting the same guides in the legislation. Because as we speak right now, there is no legislation surrounding this form of technology in The Gambia. There is a lot associated with it that is not desirable, but there is a lot associated with it that is equally desirable as we show this evening. So, these are some of the things that we think that probably we should look forward to and to see how best we can make the best use of what we are dealing with through the best of our ability and for the use of the country and her citizens.”
Asked whether there would be a continuity of this, Mr Sise responded: “I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag. We are expecting more events in the next couple of weeks. We are going to be in Brikama over the weekend.”
