FG Pushes Indigenous Defence Tech as NASENI Opens UAV Training Centre in Kaduna

By: Tunji Okunlola

The Federal Government has called for greater investment in locally developed defence and security technology to cut Nigeria’s reliance on foreign suppliers. The call came on Monday as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) inaugurated an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) training centre in Kaduna.

Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.) was represented by Air Vice Marshal Adeniran Ademuwagun, Commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology. He said building local expertise is vital to national security and to keeping critical equipment properly maintained. He warned that heavy dependence on foreign technology can create security risks, especially when technical information and maintenance services are controlled by outside partners.

According to the minister, true technological self-reliance goes beyond buying equipment and requires the skills and local capacity to operate, maintain and sustain it. He described UAVs as important for surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and infrastructure protection, adding that their effectiveness depends on trained personnel and good maintenance.

NASENI’s Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Khalil Halilu, said the centre is meant to build indigenous capacity through hands-on training, equipment development, assembly and maintenance. He said equipment alone cannot industrialise a nation, since every investment needs people who know how to run, improve and maintain it. The facility, he added, will give young Nigerians practical skills to improve their job prospects, start businesses and develop home-grown solutions.

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani called the initiative an investment in human capital, saying vocational training is essential to economic renewal, job creation and social inclusion. Speaking at the groundbreaking for the NASENI Skill Development Centre in Rigachikun, he said 4,050 people graduated in August from the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development’s campuses in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru Kataf. They were trained in 14 trades, including electrical and solar installation, mechatronics, aluminium fabrication, computer hardware repairs, catering and fashion design.

The governor said the institute has received accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education, and its instructors have been trained in quality assurance and assessment, measures he said boost employers’ confidence in graduates. He said the new centre should complement existing institutions and offer industry-relevant training with clear routes to employment and entrepreneurship.

Sani also stressed inclusion, calling for more opportunities for women, persons with disabilities and young people in underserved communities. He noted that the UAV centre has a female-led structure, with at least 60 per cent of participants being women, and said this signals that women should help shape and lead the future of aviation and technology in Nigeria. He added that UAV technology can support agriculture, security operations and infrastructure monitoring.

A private-sector partner, Rotimi Makonuola, said the centre will expand UAV training and strengthen the country’s technical workforce. Stakeholders urged continued collaboration among government bodies, technical organisations and private partners to promote local innovation, develop skilled manpower and reduce dependence on imports.