Indigenous Drone Tech Debuts In Nigeria With Strategic Military Tie-Up

A Leap Toward Indigenous Defense

NIGERIA’S defense industry received a boost Monday as UNICCON Group unveiled AI-powered “kamikaze” drones in a demonstration with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in Abuja. The event showcased the country’s potential for locally produced, high-tech security solutions.

Prof. Chuks Ekwueme, UNICCON chairman, described the milestone as a validation of homegrown defense technologies designed to meet the continent’s security challenges. “UNICCON has taken the bull by its horns to promote local technologies in Nigeria,” he said.

Cutting-Edge Drone Systems

Babasky Technologies, UNICCON’s subsidiary, revealed three advanced platforms:

• UNIKAM-Series Kamikaze Drones: AI-driven loitering munitions capable of striking targets within a 200m radius at speeds exceeding 210 km/h.

• Advanced Drone Detection and Countermeasures: A stationary system capable of tracking 40 drones simultaneously within an 8km radius, neutralizing threats via precise jamming and spoofing in a 3km radius.

• Secure Wireless Detonator Munitions: High-energy composite warheads remotely activated from 1.5km in under 0.2 seconds.

Ekwueme stressed that these technologies signal a paradigm shift from importing foreign defense systems to developing sovereign, high-spec tactical solutions.

Strengthening Military Partnerships

Maj.-Gen Babatunde Alaya, DICON’s Director-General, noted that the 2023 DICON Act strengthens collaboration with domestic and international partners. The partnership with UNICCON reflects a strategy to advance Nigeria’s defense industry while promoting national security and economic growth.

Alaya emphasized that DICON’s new committee, the Partnership Coordinating Committee, ensures coordination with local and foreign defense manufacturers. UNICCON’s innovations demonstrate how Nigerian companies are aligning with the DICON mandate to produce sophisticated, homegrown military technologies.