Nigeria-backed startup Terra Industries has launched drones and mine-clearing robots for the country’s military use to fight Islamic militants and reduce reliance on imported defence equipment.
The startup on Monday unveiled interceptor drones, mine-clearing unmanned vehicles and battlefield intelligence software that officials said could help troops confronting insurgents who have increasingly used roadside bombs and drones in recent attacks.
The launch shows a growing effort by Nigeria to reduce dependence on imported military hardware and build domestic defence manufacturing capacity, after years of buying aircraft, armoured vehicles and surveillance systems from countries including China, Turkey, Pakistan and the United States.
However, procurement delays, maintenance bottlenecks and rising foreign exchange costs have strengthened the case for local production, with Terra Industries among the first of such beneficiaries.
Terra Industries had previously focused on civilian drones and security technology before expanding into defence systems. In February, it signed a pact with Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) as part of efforts to boost the country’s defence industrial capacity and advance indigenous high-technology development.
“We are unveiling new defence systems such as our interceptor UAVs, our minesweepers, ground vehicles that can detect IEDs on the ground, and our battlefield intelligence software,” according to Mr Nathan Nwachukwu, the chief executive officer of the firm.
The need for security has risen in recent years, as groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaeda are gaining ground in Africa, converging along a swathe of territory that stretches from Mali to Nigeria, which is also battling with Boko Haram and other cells which remain active despite repeated military offensives.
Militants have stepped up attacks against army positions using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and drones, forcing armies to invest in counter-drone systems, electronic warfare and autonomous ground equipment.
Major General Babatunde Alaya, head of the state-owned DICON, said collaboration with Terra Industries was necessary, given troop casualties caused by hidden explosives and roadside bombs.
DICON has long been central to Nigeria’s ambition to produce more of its own defence equipment, but progress has historically been slow. Partnerships with private firms are increasingly seen as a faster route to innovation and scale.
Terra Industries, which is valued at $100 million, has also announced plans to expand beyond Nigeria, including a manufacturing facility in Ghana, signalling ambitions to serve a wider African market and position itself in the region’s growing security technology industry.