The House of Representatives has called for the development of a national drone industrialisation policy to strengthen Nigeria’s defence manufacturing capacity and improve the country’s response to growing security threats.
The lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to provide structured financial support to indigenous drone manufacturers, including Beirech UAS, Terra Industries, Elites Group, Pro-force and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), through the Bank of Industry, the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and other financing platforms to enable them to scale production and meet military procurement standards.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Mr Ademorin Kuye on the need to adopt a strategic drone industrialisation policy.
Leading the debate, Mr. Kuye expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the country, noting that terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and pipeline vandalism had continued to stretch the operational capacity of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
He said Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), popularly known as drones, have become essential tools for modern warfare, intelligence gathering, surveillance and counter-insurgency operations, warning that terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were already deploying commercial drones against Nigerian troops.
The lawmaker, however, noted that Nigeria had made significant progress in indigenous drone technology, citing the development of the Tsaigumi UAV by the Air Force Institute of Technology in 2018 as evidence of the country’s growing capacity.
According to him, Nigeria possesses the human capital, technological potential and industrial base to emerge as Africa’s leading hub for drone technology if supported by deliberate government policies and legislative reforms.
“The House is concerned that 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 become the hub for drone technology, provided there is structured government policy, capital and legislative support,” he said.
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Kuye also lamented that the country’s drone manufacturing industry remained largely driven by the private sector, with limited access to capital, weak government support and inadequate technology transfer arrangements, factors he said had constrained its growth and strategic relevance.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committees on Defence; National Security and Intelligence; Science and Technology; and Industry and Commerce to develop a National Drone Industrialisation Policy that would provide a roadmap for transforming Nigeria’s drone manufacturing industry into a structured, government-supported strategic sector.
The House also directed its Committees on Defence and National Security and Intelligence to work with the military and relevant government agencies to negotiate technology transfer agreements with reputable international drone manufacturers to facilitate the training of Nigerian engineers, localise production and gradually reduce dependence on imported components.
The lawmakers further mandated the Committees on Defence; Industry and Commerce to collaborate with relevant agencies in establishing dedicated Defence Industrial Zones for drone manufacturing, research and maintenance, supported by fiscal incentives, infrastructure and regulatory frameworks to attract both local and foreign investment.
In addition, the House directed the Committees on Defence; National Security and Intelligence; Industry and Commerce; Air Force; and Science and Technology to review existing laws on defence procurement, local content, aviation and investment incentives with a view to introducing amendments that would promote drone industrialisation, including tax incentives and stronger protection for intellectual property developed by Nigerian engineers.
The committees were given four weeks to report back to the House for further legislative action.
