COAS Seeks PTDF Partnership to Boost Local Drone Technology

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to developing local technological capacity and strengthening partnerships to enhance national security.

Shaibu made this known on Friday, September 18, 2026, during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) in Abuja.

In a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the COAS said there was an urgent need to develop local expertise in unmanned aerial systems and drone technology to support military operations against terrorism, insurgency and banditry.

He commended the PTDF for its contributions to human capacity development and requested specialised training for Nigerian Army personnel in relevant technological fields.

According to him, the training would help create a pool of skilled professionals capable of supporting the establishment of indigenous companies for the development of unmanned aerial systems and reduce dependence on foreign military training.

Shaibu also acknowledged the PTDF’s continued support for Command Secondary Schools.

The Executive Secretary of the PTDF, Professor Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, commended the Nigerian Army for its sacrifices in protecting the country’s territorial integrity.

Aliyu highlighted ongoing collaboration between the two institutions under the PTDF In-Country Scholarship Scheme at the Nigerian Defence Academy.

He also pledged to establish a modern Information and Communication Technology centre for digital skills training at the proposed Command Science Secondary School in Kaduna.

The PTDF executive secretary further requested the Army’s support in protecting the Fund’s strategic national assets and regional centres of excellence in Kaduna and Afam.

He called for the establishment of a formal security framework between the PTDF and the Nigerian Army to facilitate rapid emergency response and protect staff, students and infrastructure at the facilities.