The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has called for increased investment in indigenous defence technology to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s operational effectiveness and reduce reliance on foreign military equipment and technical support.
Shaibu made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while declaring open the Nigerian Army Translational Innovation Seminar on Emerging Technologies 2026, themed, “Indigenous Defence Innovations and the Future of Land Warfare.”
Represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre (NAHFC), Maj.-Gen. Olusegun Abai, the COAS said the changing nature of warfare required the military to develop, adapt and sustain home-grown technologies to effectively tackle terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other emerging security threats.
He described indigenous defence innovation as critical to achieving operational independence, strengthening institutional resilience and building sustainable military capabilities.
According to him, rapid technological advancements are redefining military operations, with unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and advanced surveillance capabilities increasingly influencing battlefield outcomes.
He noted that recent conflicts across the world had demonstrated how relatively inexpensive technologies, when creatively deployed and effectively integrated, could provide significant operational advantages.
“The ability of an army to prepare for tomorrow’s battles will increasingly depend not merely on the weapons it possesses, but also on its capacity to innovate, integrate emerging capabilities and adapt faster than its adversaries,” he said.
The Army Chief observed that the developments had significant implications for Nigeria, particularly as the military continued to confront asymmetric threats across different operational environments.
He warned that adversaries were constantly evolving their tactics and exploiting technological opportunities to undermine the military’s operational advantages, stressing the need for the Nigerian Army to anticipate emerging trends and translate them into practical solutions.
Shaibu cautioned against excessive dependence on foreign sources for critical military equipment, spare parts and technical support, noting that such reliance could undermine operational flexibility and long-term sustainability.
“We must therefore deliberately cultivate the capacity to develop, adapt, maintain and progressively produce technologies that respond to our peculiar security challenges,” he said.
He called for stronger partnerships among the Nigerian Army, defence research institutions, universities, indigenous manufacturers, technology developers and the private sector to accelerate the development of locally relevant military solutions.
He, however, emphasised that such collaborations must be guided by clearly identified operational needs rather than the attraction of technological novelty.
“Our objective should be to develop practical, affordable, reliable and sustainable solutions that can be tested, refined and integrated into our existing operational systems,” he said.
The COAS further said the urgency of indigenous innovation had increased in view of the ongoing expansion and transformation of the Nigerian Army.
He explained that the expansion of the Army’s structure from eight to 12 divisions, alongside the recruitment of an additional 28,000 personnel, required corresponding improvements in operational capabilities, training systems and technological proficiency.
According to him, the expansion must be supported by deliberate efforts to integrate emerging technologies into the organisational structures, training programmes and operational concepts of both new and existing formations.
He listed unmanned systems, enhanced intelligence and surveillance capabilities, secure communications and simulation technologies among the critical tools required to improve the Army’s combat effectiveness.
Shaibu also stressed the importance of developing the technical expertise, maintenance capacity and institutional support systems needed to sustain these capabilities.
Earlier, the Chief of Transformation and Innovation (Army), Maj.-Gen. Peter Okoye, said the seminar was organised to develop practical strategies for addressing evolving security challenges in an increasingly technology-driven operational environment.
Okoye identified dependence on foreign suppliers for military equipment, spare parts and technical support as a major vulnerability, exposing the country to delays, high costs and external restrictions beyond its control.
He said locally developed technologies offered opportunities for faster adaptation, easier repairs and more sustainable operational support.
“We have the talent for this. It is in our officers and soldiers who improvise solutions in the field every day. It is in our engineers and technicians, as well as our universities, research institutions and industry partners,” he said.
The Chief of Transformation and Innovation urged participants to identify existing capability gaps, challenge conventional assumptions and develop actionable recommendations on training, research partnerships, testing and evaluation.
He stressed that the success of the seminar should be measured not by the number of presentations or the length of deliberations, but by the practical improvements delivered to troops and the institution.
“The value of this seminar will not be measured by the quality of presentations or the length of our discussions. It will be measured by what changes afterwards, what reaches the soldier on the ground, and how much stronger and more responsive the Nigerian Army becomes,” he said.
The seminar attracted senior military officers, researchers, technology experts, defence industry stakeholders and other participants to examine how emerging technologies could shape the future of land warfare and strengthen Nigeria’s defence capabilities.
