Driverless cars, planes and Nigeria’s occasional empty cockpit

I saw a video recently about an electric car that rammed into an oncoming vehicle to save a pedestrian. The split-second decision left the two cars ugly but saved a life.

When experts analysed the incident, they praised the vehicle’s quick decision. With a range of sensors, cameras, radar and artificial intelligence to minimise human input, it prioritised saving a life over dodging oncoming traffic. However, some analysts say a human driver would likely slam the brakes, save a life and still avoid damage.

The conclusion was that despite the impressive technology, driverless cars are a long shot from achieving full autonomy. Today’s most advanced systems still operate at ‘Level 4’ autonomy, meaning they can drive themselves in specific conditions but may require human intervention in complex scenarios, such as inclement weather or unexpected roadwork.

Achieving ‘Level 5’ autonomy, where a car can drive itself under all circumstances without human input, remains elusive due to difficulties in predicting and responding to rare and unpredictable events.
Take it a notch higher to autonomous aircraft, and you’re dealing with a complex issue. Since the stakes are much higher in aviation, malfunctions can be catastrophic because safety and reliability must be airtight. It works in theory, but practicality is still aeons away.

However, if planes were countries, I think African political leaders have mastered the art of remote flight, governing their states from “anywhere in the world”. If driverless planes become a thing, the world must know that Africa had it first, politically.

When Vice President Kashim Shettima jetted off to Sweden last Wednesday, Nigerians were understandably concerned that, once again, the nation’s cockpit was empty. President Bola Tinubu departed for the United Kingdom on October 2, 2024, for a two-week working leave. He later left the UK for France on Friday, October 11, for “another important engagement,” his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, tweeted.
The Swedish trip meant President Tinubu and VP Shettima were out of the country simultaneously, a development no sane citizenry would accept. It was the second time both officers were concurrently absent from their seats since assuming office just 17 months ago.

Between late April and early May 2024, while Tinubu was in London for a private stay—after visiting the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia—Shettima departed Nigeria, first to Kenya. Afterwards, he left for Texas, USA, but cancelled his trip upon the advice of the Presidential Air Fleet. However, that decision came midair. The Presidency said Shettima’s (not official) jet turned around mid-flight due to a technical fault. For those few hours, however, the two principal officers were away.
There was no detour last Wednesday. Sweden was for real, and the backlash came heavily. Among the many Nigerians who threw stones at the administration was the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, who said the trips came at a time when the country was grappling with severe domestic challenges.

Obi maintained that it was disturbing that Tinubu and his deputy were not in the country at a time when citizens needed them the most. He wrote, “While it is arguable that with the President and Vice President absent from the Villa, there is no vacancy in the Presidency, in a situation where both the President and Vice President are out of the country, as reported in the media yesterday, it’s concerning for a country with such myriads of domestic problems.”

He also questioned why the President, reportedly in Paris, about 833 nautical miles from Stockholm, did not attend the bilateral talks.

“He could simply have done it on his way back from France with his new powerful jet, which would have taken him a little over two hours. This would have saved time and the very scarce national resources we need critically at this time.

“Instead, he delegated the Vice President, who needed to travel 3055 nautical miles, over nine hours, and (about four times the travel time from Paris) Abuja, Nigeria, to Stockholm, Sweden, to represent him at the event,” said Obi.
We may never know for sure why the President sat still in France. But the Presidency said Tinubu and Shettima’s absence did not create a leadership lacuna in Nigeria’s leadership.

The Presidency argued that the two principal officers are working remotely and are “fully engaged with the nation’s affairs, even while away.” Onanuga said, “All state organs are functioning as usual. The Senate President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, ministers, and Service Chiefs are all in their respective positions, ensuring the smooth operation of the government.

“The Constitution, a testament to our adaptability in the virtual age, does not explicitly require the physical presence of either the president or the vice president in the country at all times to fulfil his duties.”

Meaning, with the captain and first officer out of the cockpit mid-flight, all is still good. Tell that to a group of passengers mid-air and see the cabin turn red. Or, tell them midflight that the captain and first officer are both seated in a room thousands of miles away, remotely flying the plane. See? The fear is whether they can respond effectively to an emergency, severe turbulence or engine failure.