Innovators
Eno Umoh, Co-founder of Global Air Drone Academy (GADA)
Eno Umoh is a trailblazer in drone education and youth empowerment. As Co-founder of the Global Air Drone Academy (GADA), he’s creating pathways for students to explore technology, entrepreneurship, and aviation through hands-on drone training. Umoh’s mission is rooted in a simple belief: access to technology should be equitable, empowering, and transformative—no matter your geography or background.
How Eno Umoh Became a Leader in Drone and STEM Education
Born to Nigerian parents and raised in the U.S., Umoh’s journey blends multicultural insight with a commitment to global impact. His early career spanned media, creative production, and business development, but his interest in drones began as a creative tool—first for capturing aerial footage, then as a means to engage students in STEM concepts.
In 2015, he co-founded Global Air Media, a drone services company. After seeing the excitement drones generated during demonstrations at schools and events, he and his team realized drones could serve a greater purpose. That realization sparked the formation of GADA, a nonprofit education initiative focused on inspiring youth through aerial robotics and real-world problem-solving.
Eno Umoh’s Mission with Global Air Drone Academy
Umoh’s work with GADA blends hands-on drone training with education in aerodynamics, coding, GIS, data analysis, and entrepreneurship. These programs are designed to give students not only technical skills, but the confidence to innovate and build careers.
Programs include:
- Drone technology camps for middle and high school students
- FAA Part 107 prep courses tailored for youth and teachers
- Startup and innovation challenges teaching students how to monetize drone skills
- Custom programs for underserved schools and global NGOs
- Mentorship networks connecting students with drone professionals
To date, GADA has reached thousands of students across 20+ countries, both in-person and online.
International Expansion and Government Partnerships
Through partnerships with the U.S. State Department, USAID, and various embassies, Umoh has led educational exchanges and drone bootcamps in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, the UAE, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. These international programs are tailored to local needs—using drones to address real challenges like agricultural surveying, disaster mapping, and infrastructure monitoring.
In Nigeria, Umoh has helped young innovators develop drone-based business plans addressing transportation, energy, and public health logistics. In East Africa, GADA’s programming is helping train the region’s first wave of certified drone pilots.
Championing DEI in Drone Technology
Umoh is an outspoken advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in emerging tech. He emphasizes the importance of removing barriers—financial, cultural, and geographic—that prevent underrepresented groups from entering the drone industry.
Through scholarships, mentorship, and curriculum design, Umoh ensures GADA programs serve not just future engineers, but first-generation learners, young women in STEM, and aspiring entrepreneurs in under-resourced regions.
Entrepreneurial Development and Ecosystem Building
Beyond education, Umoh sees drones as a launchpad for economic development. He’s helping students and young adults transition from drone trainees to drone service providers—whether in cinematography, mapping, inspections, agriculture, or emergency response.
GADA’s ecosystem includes:
- Drone startup incubation
- Access to open-source mapping tools
- Hardware training and repair certification
- Online communities for peer learning and technical support
- These resources are helping create a new generation of drone entrepreneurs in both developed and emerging markets.
Eno Umoh’s Vision for Global Drone Literacy
Looking ahead, Umoh aims to embed drone education into school systems worldwide, with localized curricula and teacher support systems. He’s developing hybrid learning platforms, combining remote instruction with live field exercises, to reach rural communities and urban schools alike.
He envisions GADA evolving into a global drone education hub, supporting national drone academies, policy engagement, and scalable certification pipelines that feed directly into the commercial drone industry.
Closing Thoughts on the Legacy of Eno Umoh in the Making
Eno Umoh is building a movement, not just a nonprofit. Through Global Air Drone Academy, he’s redefining what access to drone technology means—making it not just about flight, but about freedom, education, and opportunity. As drone technology continues to grow, so does Umoh’s impact on the people it can uplift.
Connect With Eno Umoh
Follow Eno Umoh’s work at the intersection of drone education, youth empowerment, and global STEM access.
