Nigerian man Bolaji Fatai has sky-high dreams as he builds remote-controlled airplane from trash

Nigerian man, Bolaji Fatai may have never stepped in an actual airplane but that has not stopped him from building his own remote-controlled model aircraft, which is built entirely from trash.

The small model aircraft can be seen soaring over the sprawl and chaos of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.

The single propeller plane could be seen holding its own in cross-winds high above a sandy football field and could be seen swooping low as people looked on in Oworonshoki, the poor neighbourhood where Fatai lives in the east of the city.


Fatai stated that he bought the propeller and remote control in a shop, but used recycled styrofoam gathered from dump sites to build the body, wings, tail and fins and its held together with sticky tape. The total wingspan is about one metre.

"I started this when I was seven. I started picking things around, making some little projects," the 21-year-old said in a Reuters report.

"Whenever I see an airplane flying, it gives me a very overwhelming joy."

Fatai's labour of love is now propelling his dreams: a tech company gave him an internship after he was spotted piloting the plane -- an important first step towards his goal of becoming an aeronautical engineer.

"As our country is an under-developing country, so I hope to be a part of the people that will develop the country using this, my drone technology," he said.

(With inputs from Reuters)