Navy Chief Pushes for Homegrown Defence Technology to Curb Foreign Dependence
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, has called on the Nigerian military to prioritise indigenous research and innovation in order to end decades of dependence on foreign military technology.
Speaking at the Nigerian Navy Seminar on Research and Development in Abuja on Thursday, Ogalla — represented by the Chief of Communication and Information Technology (Navy), Rear Admiral Hamza Kaoje — said the country’s security could no longer rely on imported hardware and spare parts that often arrive with delays and hidden vulnerabilities.
“Our long-term security demands solutions developed by Nigerian minds, tailored to Nigerian realities, and manufactured by Nigerian industries.
This is not about prestige; it is a matter of strategic necessity,” he said.
He warned that future naval strength would be determined not by numbers but by technological sophistication, stressing the need for Nigeria to integrate Artificial Intelligence, cyber warfare systems, satellite surveillance, and unmanned vehicles into its maritime operations.
Ogalla identified radars, drones, navigation systems, secure communications, and surveillance platforms as areas that require accelerated local research and production.
He also urged the expansion of domestic shipbuilding and retrofitting of existing platforms using Nigerian expertise.
While commending the achievements of the Naval Dockyard Limited and Naval Shipyard Limited, he insisted that more coordinated efforts were needed to achieve true self-reliance.
“The battle for maritime security and dominance will no longer be won by numerical superiority alone.
Our success will depend on superior innovation, intelligence, adaptability, and technological sophistication,” the Naval Chief stated.
Earlier, the Chief Transformation (Navy), Rear Admiral Monday Unurhiere, said the seminar was timely, noting that technology had consistently shaped the outcomes of warfare throughout history.
Also delivering a lecture, AVM Osichinaka Ubadike, professor of Aerospace Engineering, urged the Navy to strengthen its capacity in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology to boost maritime surveillance.
The two-day seminar, according to the organisers, forms part of the Navy’s strategy to deepen its research ecosystem and adapt emerging technologies to Nigeria’s security challenges.
