A Nigerian cybersecurity professor has urged the government to deploy combat drones against worsening insecurity, arguing the technology could help reclaim territory from terrorists, bandits and criminals.
Ojo Emmanuel Ademola, widely described as Nigeria’s first professor of cybersecurity and information technology management, set out the case in a new commentary. He said conventional troop deployments and reactive enforcement no longer match threats that are mobile, decentralised and technologically adaptive.
Ademola pointed to terrorism in the North East, banditry in the North West, secessionist tension in the South East and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. He warned that kidnapping and highway attacks are now spreading into the South West, including areas around Lagos, a region long seen as relatively safe.
He argued that unmanned aircraft offer persistent surveillance over forests, creeks and borders where ground forces struggle, alongside real time intelligence at lower cost than manned missions. Within strict legal limits, he said, drones could also enable precise responses that reduce harm to civilians.
Ademola stressed that any rollout must sit within strong governance. He called for clear engagement rules, transparent procurement, data protection and independent oversight by courts and parliament, warning that expanding commercial drone use also raises risks to privacy and civil liberties.
He further pressed for locally built and configured systems rather than imported ones, saying homegrown design would protect sensitive data, suit Nigeria’s varied terrain and cut dependence on foreign suppliers. Such an industry, he added, could create jobs and train skilled engineers.
Ademola cautioned that the technology cannot work alone. “Drones are not a silver bullet,” he wrote, urging integration with the military, police and intelligence agencies under a unified command.
He concluded that Nigeria cannot afford to lag in a field where technology increasingly shapes security outcomes, calling for decisive investment in the capability.
