Former presidential candidate and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has suggested a major change to Nigeria’s defence approach, saying that if he were president, he would remove the position of Minister of Defence and replace traditional military hardware with drone technology.
Sowore made the statement while speaking on Channels Television, where he criticised the current defence structure and the way military equipment is purchased. According to him, fighter jets are costly to maintain, take years to master, and often suffer from delays in spare parts, which weakens their usefulness in urgent security situations.
He explained that drones can be operated by a few people and still cover large areas within a short time. Using examples, he said small teams could deploy multiple drones to track kidnappers, bandits, or other criminals in forests and remote areas, allowing security agencies to respond more quickly.
Sowore also said some drones are relatively affordable and can monitor several kilometres within minutes. He argued that supplying states with a large number of such drones would greatly improve surveillance and response to crimes like kidnapping and banditry.
Referring to global conflicts, he pointed to how modern wars now rely heavily on unmanned systems rather than manned aircraft. He noted that advanced drones can control airspace without the need for fighter jets, making traditional air force equipment less useful in today’s security environment.
Nigeria continues to face serious security challenges, including insurgency in the North-East, bandit attacks in the North-West, and frequent kidnappings across the country. While the government has adopted some aerial tools, critics like Sowore believe delays, poor planning, and corruption reduce their impact.
Sowore insisted that a defence system built around drone technology would be more practical for Nigeria’s current needs and better suited to modern security threats.
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