The Nigerian Army must place artificial intelligence, data analytics, and digital infrastructure at the core of its modern warfare strategy, says Dr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General and CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency.
Speaking at the Nigerian Army’s 4th Data Management and Record Keeping Seminar 2026, themed “From Data to Decision Advantage: Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Warfare,” Abdullahi argued that modern technological advantage depends on how rapidly armed forces convert raw information into actionable intelligence.
Achieving true digital sovereignty requires the military to reduce its heavy reliance on foreign commercial platforms and invest aggressively in indigenous infrastructure, skills, and local technology partnerships capable of securing national sovereignty, said Abdullahi.
He said AI will not replace military personnel, but it will significantly improve operational effectiveness by automating routine processes, reducing bureaucratic delays, and freeing officers to concentrate on strategic and tactical decisions.
The potential of this localized approach is already emerging across Nigeria’s technology ecosystem. Local defence-technology company Terra Industries, led by CEO Nathaniel Nwachukwu, has developed ArtemisOS, an AI-powered platform that aggregates data from surveillance systems and drones to identify threats in real time.
Autonomous systems developed locally are already deployed to safeguard critical national infrastructure, illustrating how domestic innovation converts vast streams of surveillance data into operational insight.
This private sector momentum highlights a broader operational lesson for defense planners: technology delivers maximum transformation when hardware, software, and data operate as an integrated ecosystem.
Terra’s active partnership with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, demonstrates the power of public-private collaboration in modern tech import dependency.
For the Nigerian Army, the immediate imperative is not merely procuring external technology, but establishing the internal systems, local talent pipelines, and governance structures needed to translate data into rapid operational action.
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