Nigeria’s cutting-edge military innovations, including drone surveillance systems, smart armour, and border monitoring technologies, are increasingly being developed by private sector firms, rather than government agencies, a defence expert has said.

Zulaykhah Aileru, a certified protection and security professional, said this in an interview with journalists on the evolution of Nigeria’s defence ecosystem and the critical role of indigenous technology.

According to her, private Nigerian companies are now at the forefront of designing solutions tailored to the country’s security challenges, ranging from asymmetric warfare to cross-border threats.

“Some of the most advanced solutions today, such as AI-powered surveillance drones, wearable smart armour, and real-time border alert systems, are being conceptualised and deployed by Nigerian tech entrepreneurs. These firms are not just innovating; they are filling urgent capability gaps that traditional procurement channels have struggled to address,” she said.

The defence expert attributed the private sector’s growing role to the flexibility, speed, and terrain-specific insight that local innovators bring to the table, often at lower cost than foreign imports.

She noted that while public institutions like DICON and NASENI remain key to Nigeria’s defence industrial development, the government must accelerate support for private innovators through funding, partnerships, and favourable policy frameworks.

“We need clear mechanisms that allow local tech firms to work hand in hand with the military, especially in prototyping, field testing, and scaling up effective solutions,” she said.

Ms Aileru also called for reforms in procurement processes, stronger intellectual property protections, and tax incentives to encourage private sector participation in defence technology development.

According to her, building a resilient homegrown defence industry is vital not just for national security, but also for regional influence and economic transformation.

“If we can scale what is already happening in small pockets, Nigeria will not only reduce foreign dependence but also emerge as a regional defence technology hub within ECOWAS,” she added.

She emphasised that the continent can no longer afford to rely solely on imported systems, noting that Africa has the knowledge base, security urgency, and innovation capacity to lead its own defence future. 

(NAN)