Army, TETFUND Strengthen Partnership On Armament Technology, Drone Warfare

The Nigerian Army and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have strengthened a strategic partnership to develop indigenous expertise in drone and armament technology.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, spoke when he received the executive secretary of TETFund, Sunday Echono, at the Army Headquarters, Abuja.

He said investment in human capital development and advanced military research is a critical pathway toward reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign military imports and accelerating indigenous defence production.   In a statement issued by the Army spokesperson Col. Appolonia Anele, Lt-Gen.Shaibu thanked TETFund for its sustained infrastructural and academic support to key military institutions, particularly the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB) and the Nigerian Army College of Management Science (NACMS), Makurdi.

He noted that both institutions continue to play a strategic role in producing the highly skilled workforce required to support the evolving operational and administrative demands of the Nigerian Army.

The COAS disclosed that the Nigerian Army would further engage TETFund in sponsoring specialised training programmes for officers in armament technology, drone warfare, robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging defence technologies aimed at positioning the Nigerian Army to dominate the modern battlespace effectively and operate optimally at the highest professional standards and results-driven operations.

The Army Chief, highlighting the rapidly evolving global security environment, stressed that contemporary security threats demand a “whole-of-society approach,” in which academic innovation, technological advancement, and military capability are deliberately integrated.

He emphasised that developing robust indigenous expertise in drone and armament technology would provide the nation with the strategic intellectual base required to drive local manufacturing of military hardware, strengthen national self-reliance, and enhance long-term operational sustainability.

In his remarks, Arc. Echono reaffirmed the TETFund’s commitment to expanding collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces in advanced research, military intelligence, innovation, and emerging technologies.

He acknowledged the longstanding contributions of the Armed Forces to the nation’s educational sector through its tri-service institutions.

He therefore reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to supporting initiatives capable of generating strategic breakthroughs that will not only strengthen national security but also contribute meaningfully to national development.