The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has called for specialised training for Nigerian Army personnel in unmanned aerial systems and drone technology to strengthen the military’s capacity to tackle terrorism, insurgency and banditry.
Shaibu made the call on Friday during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) in Abuja.
The COAS said the training would help develop indigenous expertise and establish local companies capable of producing unmanned aerial systems for military applications.
‘This will help us establish indigenous companies for the development of unmanned aerial systems and reduce reliance on foreign military training,’ he said.
He reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to advancing local technological capacity and strengthening strategic partnerships to enhance national security.
Shaibu praised the PTDF’s longstanding role in human capacity development and formally requested specialised training for Army personnel to create a pool of skilled professionals in drone technology.
He also acknowledged the Fund’s continued support for Command Secondary Schools.
The Executive Secretary of the PTDF, Prof. Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, commended the sacrifices of the Nigerian Army in safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity.
Aliyu outlined ongoing collaborations under the PTDF In-Country Scholarship Scheme at the Nigerian Defence Academy and pledged to establish a modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre for digital skills training at the proposed Command Science Secondary School in Kaduna.
He also called for the Army’s support in protecting PTDF’s strategic national assets and regional centres of excellence in Kaduna and Afam.
The PTDF executive secretary advocated a formal security framework between both institutions to ensure rapid emergency response and safeguard staff, students and infrastructure.