By Tracy Moses
The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to provide structured financial, policy and institutional support for indigenous drone manufacturers as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s defence manufacturing capacity, enhance national security and reduce the country’s dependence on imported military technology.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ademorin Aliyu Kuye, who argued that Nigeria must deliberately develop a sustainable drone manufacturing industry capable of meeting the country’s growing defence and security requirements.
Moving the motion during plenary, Kuye observed that Nigeria continues to grapple with increasingly complex security threats, including terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and pipeline vandalism, which have placed significant pressure on the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
He noted that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have become indispensable assets in modern warfare, intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and counter-insurgency operations across the world.
The lawmaker further expressed concern that non-state armed groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have already deployed commercial drones against Nigerian troops, underscoring the urgency of strengthening Nigeria’s indigenous technological and defence capabilities.
Kuye recalled that Nigeria demonstrated its capacity for home-grown innovation with the successful development of the Tsaigumi Unmanned Aerial Vehicle by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2018.
According to him, the country possesses the technical expertise, engineering talent and industrial foundation required to emerge as Africa’s leading hub for drone technology if backed by deliberate government policies and sustained investment.
“Nigeria, with a pool of engineering talent, a growing technology entrepreneurship ecosystem, existing military-industrial partnerships, and the largest economy in Africa, possesses the foundational conditions to be the hub for drone technology, provided there is structured government policy, capital, and legislative support.”
Despite these advantages, Kuye lamented that Nigeria’s drone manufacturing industry remains largely driven by private-sector initiatives with limited access to financing, technology transfer and institutional support.
“Nigeria’s drone manufacturing ecosystem remains largely private-sector driven, lightly capitalized, and insufficiently supported by structured state policy, technology transfer frameworks, legislative incentives, or dedicated defence industrial zones, thereby limiting its scale, sophistication, and strategic impact.”
Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government to provide structured capital support to verified Nigerian drone manufacturers, including Beirech UAS, Terra Industries, Elites Group, Proforce Defence Limited and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), through the Bank of Industry (BoI), the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and other appropriate financing mechanisms to enable them to scale production and meet military procurement standards.
The lawmakers also mandated the House Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, Science and Technology, and Industry and Commerce to work with relevant stakeholders to develop a National Drone Industrialisation Policy that would serve as a roadmap for transforming Nigeria’s drone manufacturing sector into a structured, state-supported strategic industry.
In addition, the House directed the Committees on Defence and National Security and Intelligence to collaborate with the Nigerian military and other relevant agencies to identify and formalise technology transfer agreements with reputable international drone manufacturers. The initiative is expected to facilitate the training of Nigerian engineers, encourage local production and progressively reduce the country’s reliance on imported drone components.
The Committees on Defence, Industry and Commerce were further mandated to work with relevant government agencies to establish dedicated Defence Industrial Zones for drone manufacturing, research, development and maintenance. According to the resolution, the proposed zones should enjoy fiscal incentives, improved infrastructure and an enabling regulatory framework capable of attracting both domestic and foreign investment.
The House also directed its relevant committees to review existing laws on defence procurement, local content, aviation regulation and investment incentives with a view to introducing legislative reforms that would accelerate drone industrialisation. The proposed reforms include tax incentives for indigenous manufacturers and stronger legal protection for intellectual property developed by Nigerian engineers.
The committees were given four weeks to report back to the House for further legislative action.
The resolution reflects growing concern over Nigeria’s dependence on imported defence equipment at a time when drone technology has become central to military operations, border security, intelligence gathering and the protection of critical national infrastructure. Defence analysts have consistently argued that expanding indigenous defence manufacturing would not only strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture but also promote technology transfer, create high-skilled jobs, conserve foreign exchange and advance the country’s broader industrialisation agenda.
If implemented, the House’s recommendations are expected to complement ongoing efforts to deepen local defence production and enhance the operational capabilities of Nigeria’s security agencies through home-grown technological innovation.