By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Army has intensified efforts toward achieving indigenous military hardware production and technological self-reliance through a strengthened strategic partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) focused on armament technology, drone warfare, robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
In an official signed statement by Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, disclosed this on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, while receiving the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sunday Echono, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Lieutenant General Shaibu emphasized the urgent need for deliberate investment in human capital development, advanced military research and technological innovation as critical drivers for reducing Nigeria’s dependence on foreign military imports and accelerating local defense production.
The COAS commended TETFund for its sustained infrastructural and academic support to the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB) and the Nigerian Army College of Management Science (NACMS), Makurdi, noting that both institutions have continued to produce highly skilled manpower required to meet the evolving operational and administrative needs of the Nigerian Army.
He further disclosed that the Nigerian Army would engage TETFund in sponsoring specialized training programmes for officers in armament technology, drone warfare, robotics, Artificial Intelligence and other emerging defense technologies.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at positioning the Nigerian Army to effectively dominate the modern battlespace while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and operational efficiency.
Highlighting the changing global security landscape, Lieutenant General Shaibu stressed that contemporary threats require a “whole-of-society approach” where academic innovation, technological advancement and military capability are deliberately integrated to strengthen national security architecture.
He noted that building strong indigenous capacity in drone and armament technology would provide Nigeria with the intellectual and technical foundation necessary for local manufacturing of military hardware, enhance operational sustainability and strengthen national self-reliance in defense production.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sunday Echono, reaffirmed the agency’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 Nigeria’s educational sector through its tri-service institutions and assured that TETFund would continue supporting initiatives capable of generating strategic breakthroughs that would strengthen national security and contribute meaningfully to national development.
