By Miriam Humbe
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to advancing local technological capacity and strengthening strategic partnerships to boost national security and personnel development.
Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Acting Director Army Public Relations disclosed this in a statement signed on Friday, 18 September 2026.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) headquarters in Abuja, General Shaibu highlighted the urgent need to build local expertise in unmanned aerial systems and drone technology to tackle terrorism, insurgency and banditry.
He praised PTDF’s long standing role in human capacity development and formally requested specialized training for army personnel to create a strong pool of skilled professionals.
“This will help us establish indigenous companies for the development of unmanned aerial systems and reduce reliance on foreign military training,” the COAS said, while also acknowledging the Fund’s continued support for Command Secondary Schools.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the PTDF, Professor Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, commended the sacrifices of the Nigerian Army in safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity.
He outlined ongoing collaborations under the PTDF In-Country Scholarship Scheme at the Nigerian Defence Academy and pledged to establish a modern ICT center for digital skills training at the proposed Command Science Secondary School in Kaduna.
Professor Aliyu also called for the Army’s support in protecting PTDF’s strategic national assets and regional centres of excellence in Kaduna and Afam. He advocated for a formal security framework between both institutions to ensure rapid emergency response and safeguard staff, students and infrastructure.
