Members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to provide structured capital support to verified Nigerian drone manufacturing companies, including Beirech UAS, Terra Industries, Elites Group, Pro-force, and AFIT—through Bank of Industry, Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), and other appropriate financing vehicles to enable them to scale operations and meet military procurement standards.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion on the need to adopt a Strategic Drone Industrialisation Policy with a view to strengthening Nigeria’s Defence Manufacturing capacity, sponsored by Hon. Ademorin Kuye.

In his lead debate, Hon. Kuye expressed grave concern over “persistent and evolving security threats such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, and pipeline vandalism, which have continued to challenge the operational capacity of Nigeria’s Armed Forces and security agencies.”

He maintained that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, have become indispensable tools of modern warfare, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and counter-insurgency operations globally and that non-state armed groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), are already deploying commercial drones against Nigerian troops.

He specifically expressed excitement that Nigeria has taken commendable early steps in indigenous drone manufacturing, including the development of the Tsaigumi UAV by the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2018.

“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 be the hub for drone technology, provided there is structured government policy, capital, and legislative support.

“The House is also concerned that 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 defense industrial zones, thereby limiting its scale, sophistication, and strategic impact.” To this end, the House mandated the joint Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, Science and Technology, Industry and Commerce to develop and adopt a National Drone Industrialisation Policy that establishes a clear roadmap for growing Nigeria’s drone manufacturing sector from its current entrepreneurial stage to a structured, state-supported strategic industry.

The House also mandated the Committees on Defence and National Security and Intelligence to work with the Nigerian Military and relevant agencies to identify and formalise technology transfer agreements with reputable international drone manufacturers, mandating the training of Nigerian engineers, localisation of production, and progressive reduction of imported components.

The lawmakers further mandate the joint Committees on Defence, Industry and Commerce to work with relevant agencies to create and designate dedicated Defence Industrial Zones for drone manufacturing, research, and maintenance, backed by appropriate fiscal incentives, infrastructure support, and regulatory frameworks to attract both foreign and local investors.

To this end, the House mandated the joint Committees on Defence, National Security and Intelligence, Industry, Commerce, Air Force as well Science and Technology to undertake a legislative review of existing laws governing defence procurement, local content, aviation, and investment incentives, with a view to enacting or amending legislation that creates a conducive environment for drone industrialisation, including tax exemptions and protection of intellectual property developed

by Nigerian engineers and report within four weeks for further legislative action. (Nigerian Tribune)

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