By Basil Odilim
Someone drew my attention to this. While I’m not here to discourage the young men in this video, the truth is that they’ve invented nothing. They’re only assembling parts of what is already out there in the drone making markets.
In today’s world, most technologies can be replicated or advanced simply by downloading the required software and following the laid-down instructions. Even in highly complex fields such as aerospace engineering, replication is no longer about reinventing the wheel but about correctly applying what is already available. The real limitation is not feasibility but cost, since many of these software systems are prohibitively expensive and often require specialized expertise to operate.
The system I have developed addresses this gap by integrating voice-command technology with downloadable software platforms. With this invention, users can direct, control, and execute software functions entirely through spoken instruction. This eliminates the need for manual coding or advanced programming knowledge, significantly lowering the barrier to entry in industries where sophisticated tools are otherwise restricted to experts.
But here is the deeper truth: simply applying existing software to assemble drones, robots, or rockets is no longer invention in the strict sense. That process is mostly about assembly—procure the components, follow complex instructions, fit the parts together, and the product is ready. Often, all that is required is to call the software developers—whether they are building cameras in South Korea or circuit boards in China—and your “innovation” is complete.
The real frontier of invention is different. It lies in creating entirely new classes of software that generate products and applications not yet imagined. True innovation begins when software itself becomes the origin of new industries, new devices, and new possibilities.
This is the message I want to take to Nigerian entrepreneurs: the future is not just in assembling what already exists, but in developing original software systems that will make Nigeria a creator of technology, not merely a consumer.
