Headlines
Can Nigeria’s drone industry deliver Africa’s defence sovereignty
Military manufacturing may be growing, but defence sovereignty depends on far more than production.
Across Africa, the ability to defend borders, monitor territory and protect critical infrastructure remains heavily dependent on foreign suppliers. Turkish drones patrol borders, Chinese surveillance systems monitor cities and Russian fighter jets form the backbone of several air forces.
For decades, African militaries have turned abroad for critical defence technologies, leaving the continent largely positioned as a buyer rather than a producer.
An Abuja-based start-up is attempting to change that equation.
Terra Industries, founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, both in their early twenties, designs and manufactures drones, autonomous surveillance towers and unmanned ground vehicles from facilities in Abuja and Accra.
Unlike companies that primarily assemble imported components, Terra says it develops its own software, airframes, propellers and lithium-ion battery packs, with more than 70 percent of its inputs sourced locally.
The company says its systems are currently used to protect infrastructure valued at approximately $11bn, including power plants, lithium and gold mines, oil refineries and other strategic assets across eight African countries and Canada.
Building capability
The shift from importing security technology to producing it locally has become an increasingly important debate across Africa. Governments facing armed groups, porous borders, maritime insecurity and attacks on critical infrastructure are searching for faster and more adaptable solutions.
Terra’s move from private infrastructure security into engagements with Nigeria’s defence institutions reflects that changing environment. The company says its systems are designed to address challenges ranging from maritime surveillance and border monitoring to the protection of energy and mining assets.
![The Archer drone, developed by Terra Industries, is part of a new generation of locally manufactured military technology emerging across Africa [Terra Industries]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IMG_4128-1-1783618110.jpeg?w=770&resize=770%2C580&quality=80)
“Coastal states in West Africa are focused on maritime surveillance because of piracy and illegal fishing in the Gulf of Guinea,” chief executive Nathan Nwachuku told Al Jazeera. “States dealing with insurgency and porous borders want persistent aerial surveillance and a rapid-response capability. Others are looking at protection for pipelines, power and energy infrastructure, and mining assets, the same problems we started solving in Nigeria.”
The company is now preparing for a larger regional footprint. Nwachuku confirmed that Terra’s second production facility in Ghana will become Africa’s largest drone manufacturing hub, with an annual production capacity of 50,000 units by 2028.
“Our long-term ambition goes beyond the continent because the threats our systems are designed to address exist across the Global South,” he said. “Governments in South Asia and South America face them too, and they face the same dependency on foreign suppliers. We intend to serve them as we grow.”
Investor confidence
The scale of investment behind Terra reflects growing interest in Africa’s emerging defence technology sector. The company has raised $34m in seed funding, which it describes as one of the largest early-stage funding rounds in African technology.
The investment was led by 8VC, the venture capital firm founded by Palantir Technologies co-founder Joe Lonsdale, alongside Lux Capital and Valor Equity Partners, investors behind companies such as Anduril and SpaceX.
“The round closed in under two weeks, which is rare even by global standards,” Tage Kene-Okafor, Terra Industries’ director of communications, told Al Jazeera. “But what has been more exciting is our cap table, where we have the likes of 8VC, Lux Capital and Valor Equity Partners, investors that have backed companies shaping the future of defence and advanced manufacturing globally.”
Security imperative
The interest in companies like Terra comes as drones become increasingly central to conflicts across Africa. In the Sahel, inexpensive commercial drones have moved from surveillance tools to weapons used on the battlefield, creating new challenges for militaries that often lack effective counter-drone capabilities.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the al-Qaeda-linked coalition operating in Mali and Burkina Faso, has carried out more than 100 drone attacks since 2023, with 2025 recording the highest number to date.
Terra says its Kama interceptor drone was developed in response to this changing threat environment. The company says the system can reach speeds of up to 300kph and is designed to counter hostile drones in environments where traditional air defence systems may be unavailable or too expensive.
Building defence technology, however, is not the same as achieving defence sovereignty.
Sovereignty question
While a country can build manufacturing capacity through investment, engineering talent and industrial policy, defence sovereignty requires institutions capable of managing procurement, ensuring accountability and sustaining strategic industries over the long term.
Janice Greaver, director at the Pan African Sustainable, Innovation and Development Associates (PASIDA), argues that local production alone cannot answer those questions.
“Seventy percent local sourcing means little until we know who controls the intellectual property, who is employed and who is left out,” she told Al Jazeera. “And when private capital arms the state with no visible civil society oversight, we are simply trading one dependency (on foreign suppliers) for another (on unaccountable domestic capital).”
Terra Industries has demonstrated that sophisticated defence technologies can be designed and manufactured in Africa. Its rapid rise reflects both growing technical capability on the continent and the pressure created by worsening security challenges.
Whether that becomes genuine defence sovereignty will depend on what happens beyond the factory floor: how governments buy, regulate and oversee the technologies they increasingly seek to build themselves.
As Greaver cautions: “Its manufacturing capacity is being built, sovereignty requires the accountability structures that do not yet exist”.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/13/can-nigerias-drone-industry-deliver-africas-defence-sovereignty
Headlines
Major General Mutkut Applauds 4 Brigade’s Proactive Security Operations During Edo Assessment Visit
The Commander Infantry Corps (CIC), Major General Godwin Mutkut, has commended the operational readiness and administrative achievements of the Headquarters 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, during an operational assessment visit to the formation in Benin City, Edo State.
During the visit on Saturday, July 11, Major General Mutkut commissioned several completed infrastructure projects and praised the Brigade for maintaining a proactive security posture that has contributed to peace and stability across Edo State.
Addressing officers and soldiers, the Infantry Corps Commander conveyed the goodwill message of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, and applauded the troops for their loyalty, discipline, professionalism, resilience and commitment to duty.
He urged personnel to remain focused on their constitutional responsibilities while upholding the core values, ethics and traditions of the Nigerian Army.
Major General Mutkut also stressed the importance of maintaining strong family relationships, noting that a stable home environment plays a vital role in enhancing the effectiveness and wellbeing of military personnel.
As part of the assessment visit, the Commander commissioned a series of projects completed under the leadership of the Commander 4 Brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun. The projects include the remodelled Brigade Conference Room, a new Brigade Operations Room, Brigade Sick Bay, an ultra-modern Fire Point, Quarter Guard, and the newly constructed 4 Brigade Mascot and Fountain.
He described the projects as significant investments that would enhance operational efficiency, improve troop welfare and provide a more conducive working environment for personnel.
Major General Mutkut commended Brigadier General Balogun for his leadership and commitment to implementing the Chief of Army Staff’s Command Philosophy through infrastructure development and effective command administration.
Earlier, Brigadier General Balogun welcomed the Commander Infantry Corps and expressed appreciation for the operational assessment visit, describing it as a morale booster for officers and soldiers of the Brigade.
He reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to protecting lives and property across its area of responsibility while sustaining the high standards of professionalism, discipline and operational excellence associated with the Nigerian Army and the Infantry Corps.
The visit also featured a tour of facilities within the Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ekehuan, Benin City, an interactive session with officers and soldiers, and the presentation of souvenirs.
*Says Ministers, Accountant General’s Office Have Answers to Members’ Queries
*Speaker Abass Showed Rare Leadership as Presiding Officer
The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has said the House does not require the presence of President Bola Tinubu to resolve issues relating to the implementation and oversight of the national budget.
Agbese stated this while speaking with a select group of journalists after Thursday’s plenary at the National Assembly.
Agbese spoke against the backdrop of Wednesday’s rowdy session witnessed on the floor of the House of Representatives over a motion seeking to invite the President to appear before the House to explain issues surrounding the poor implementation of the national budget especially as it concens constituency projects.
The rowdy session followed a motion by an Abia lawmaker, Hon. Mascot Ikwechegh who had raised a motion that the House summons the President to explain issues surrounding budget implementation.
The motion divided the house, with some lawmakers supporting it and others protesting against it.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas who presided the session pointed out that the lawmaker departed from the original version of the motion submitted before the start of plenary to raise a prayer that was not contained in his motion.
“It is a complete deviation from the copy you gave me,” the speaker said.
Agbese while speaking on the matter argued that budget implementation and expenditure fall within the responsibilities of ministers, heads of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, noting that they are in a better position to provide the required explanations.
According to him, the National Assembly has constitutional oversight powers to scrutinise government spending, and the officials directly responsible for implementing budgetary provisions are expected to account for their stewardship before lawmakers.
“The House does not need Mr President to appear before it to resolve budget-related issues. The relevant ministers and the Office of the Accountant-General are the right people to answer questions members are asking because they are directly involved in budget implementation,” Agbese said.
He also commended Speaker Abbas Tajudeen for what he described as exemplary leadership and maturity in managing the House proceedings during Wednesday’s session.
Agbese said the Speaker demonstrated maturity, fairness and a commitment to parliamentary rules while managing deliberations on budget-related matters.
“Speaker Abbas showed rare leadership as the presiding officer. He handled the proceedings with calmness, fairness and a clear commitment to protecting the integrity of the House,” he said.
He urged Nigerians not to politicise the House’s oversight functions, insisting that lawmakers were committed to ensuring prudent management of public resources and effective implementation of projects captured in the national budget.
According to him, the House will continue to engage relevant government officials to obtain necessary clarifications and ensure that funds approved for constituency projects and other projects are fully funded.
Hon. Agbese also dismissed the call for cancellation of the NASS Open Week scheduled for July 14 by the House, insisting the flagship annual legislative event by the 10th House under the leadership of Speaker Abbas Tajudeen has come to stay
He reiterates that members will fully participate in the programme without any hesitation.
“Though things are critical but members will never abdicate their primary responsibility of law making for any other thing or whatever grouse they may have.
“NASS open week has come to stay. It has helped to showcase our activities to major stakeholders across the globe including cooperation from other parliamentary institutions and partners”, he said.
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