Nigeria’s drive to strengthen its security architecture through indigenous technology has received a boost with the unveiling of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) training centre by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in Kaduna State.
Speaking at the event, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, underscored the need for Nigeria to reduce its dependence on foreign security and agricultural technologies by developing local expertise in the operation, maintenance and adaptation of critical equipment.
Governor Sani described the centre as an investment in innovation, skills development and economic growth. He particularly highlighted its female-led structure, noting that women account for at least 60 per cent of its participants.
According to him, the initiative would expand opportunities for women to contribute to Nigeria’s emerging aviation and technology sectors.
Earlier, the governor said he had the honour of chairing and serving as the Special Guest of Honour at three engagements organised by NASENI in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government: the groundbreaking ceremony for the NASENI Skill Development Centre, the launch of the NASENI Sustainable Empowerment Programme, and the commissioning of the NASCAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Training Facility.
He said the initiatives advanced a central responsibility of government: equipping citizens with the skills, resources and opportunities to build secure livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Sustainable Empowerment Programme will provide 500 beneficiaries across the state’s 23 local government areas with solar home systems, clean cookstoves and financial assistance to support household welfare and productive capacity.
The Skill Development Centre will widen access to practical training, while the NASCAV UAV Training Facility will strengthen specialised technical education, research and innovation, including applications in agriculture and other critical sectors.
Sani expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to science, technology, skills development and economic empowerment. He said the President’s support demonstrated how the Renewed Hope Agenda could translate national priorities into opportunities within communities, enabling more Nigerians to improve their circumstances.
“Access must be integral to that ambition. Women, persons with disabilities and young people in underserved communities must have meaningful opportunities to participate. Their inclusion will broaden our pool of talent and ensure that the benefits of development reach households too often excluded from opportunity,” he added.
The governor said Kaduna State had provided the required site and remained committed to facilitating the project. He also commended the contractors for mobilising equipment and demonstrating readiness to commence work.
He stressed that government had a responsibility to create conditions in which citizens’ abilities could flourish through relevant training, recognised qualifications and fair access to productive opportunities. He said this conviction informed the state’s investment in the Kaduna State Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development.
In August, he said, the state celebrated 4,050 graduates from the institute’s campuses in Rigachikun, Soba and Samaru Kataf. Their training covered 14 trades, including electrical installation, aluminium fabrication, solar installation, mechatronics, computer hardware repair and maintenance, catering and hospitality, and fashion design.
Sani disclosed that the institute had secured accreditation from the National Board for Technical Education, while its instructors had received training as Quality Assurance Assessors and Internal Quality Assurance Managers.
“These measures strengthen the credibility of assessment and certification, giving employers greater confidence in the competence of our graduates,” he said.
“Today, we lay the foundation for an institution that will expand opportunity, strengthen productive capacity and prepare our people for the demands of a changing economy.
“The NASENI Skill Development Centre represents an investment in the knowledge, competence and enterprise through which individuals build secure livelihoods and societies achieve lasting prosperity,” he added.
The Minister of Defence, represented by the Commandant of the Air Force Institute of Technology, Air Vice Marshal Adeniran Ademuwagun, expressed concern that overreliance on foreign suppliers could expose Nigeria to security vulnerabilities, particularly when access to technical information, equipment maintenance and critical systems depended on external partners.
He stressed that locally trained personnel would improve equipment availability, strengthen intelligence gathering and enhance the operational capacity of security agencies.
Meanwhile, NASENI Executive Vice Chairman Khalil Halilu described the UAV Training Centre as a strategic investment in indigenous technological development.
Halilu explained that UAV technology could support not only security operations but also agriculture, healthcare and infrastructure monitoring, while creating new opportunities for young Nigerians.
