Ghana's Dagodzo Conducts West Africa's First National UAV Aeromagnetic Survey Training Using Skyfront Perimeter 8

Minerals Commission of Ghana trains 15 geoscience professionals in drone-based mineral exploration

REDWOOD CITY, CA and ACCRA, GHANA, August 2025

The Minerals Commission of Ghana has completed what is believed to be West Africa’s first national UAV aeromagnetic survey training program. The training took place at Afienya Airstrip and was led by Delali Dagodzo, a Skyfront Train-the-Trainer Certified Instructor.

Fifteen Minerals Commission geoscience professionals were trained. The curriculum covered:

•       Skyfront Perimeter 8 flight operations and mission planning

•       Geometrics MagArrow II sensor integration and configuration

•       Magnetic survey execution and data acquisition

•       Compliance with Ghana Civil Aviation Authority regulations

•       Post-flight data processing

Why It Matters

Aeromagnetic surveys identify subsurface geological structures and potential mineral deposits. Until recently, these surveys required expensive manned aircraft, which limited their use to well-funded multinational mining companies. The combination of the Skyfront Perimeter 8, a hybrid-electric long-endurance multirotor, and the Geometrics MagArrow II, a high-sensitivity airborne magnetic sensor, brings the same capability to national geoscience institutions at a small fraction of the cost.

Ghana is one of Africa’s leading producers of gold, bauxite, manganese, and diamonds. The Minerals Commission is the statutory body responsible for regulating and developing those resources.

The Instructor

Delali Dagodzo became the first licensed drone pilot in Ghana in 2017. He holds an MSc in Mineral Exploration from the University of Ghana, where his research focused on satellite-based mineralization mapping using LANDSAT and ASTER imagery. He serves as Chief Drone Officer of Skyway UAS and previously built the national UAV inspection program for Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), where drone inspections delivered 60 percent faster surveys and 40 percent cost savings compared to helicopter patrols.

Dagodzo has trained more than 48 UAV professionals across Ghana’s national institutions, published 12 peer-reviewed papers, and authored a technical book on remote sensing. He is a Certified Member of ISPRS and IEEE. He completed Skyfront’s Train-the-Trainer certification at the company’s Redwood City, California facility before delivering the Ghana program.

Quote

“Completing my Train-the-Trainer certification with Skyfront was the foundation that made all of this possible,” said Delali Dagodzo. “Coming back to Ghana to deliver this program for the Minerals Commission, training the next generation of UAV geophysical survey operators using the Skyfront Perimeter 8, is the kind of impact I set out to create. This is what technology transfer looks like in practice.”

About Skyfront

Skyfront Corp. designs and manufactures hybrid-electric multirotor UAVs in Redwood City, California. The Skyfront Perimeter 8 holds the world multirotor endurance record, is listed on the U.S. Department of War Blue UAS Select list, and operates in more than 30 countries. Skyfront’s Train-the-Trainer program certifies operators to build lasting UAV capability within their own institutions.

About the Minerals Commission of Ghana

The Minerals Commission of Ghana is the statutory body responsible for the regulation, management, development, and utilization of Ghana’s mineral resources.

About Geometrics

Geometrics manufactures geophysical instrumentation including the MagArrow II, a high-sensitivity UAV-deployable aeromagnetic sensor used globally for mineral exploration, UXO detection, and geophysical surveying.