Nigeria’s police are expanding their technical capabilities against terrorism and banditry, but the real test lies beyond training certificates: operational deployment, measurable results, responsible surveillance and public accountability.
Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and banditry is moving further into the skies. Thirty police officers have completed basic training in unmanned aircraft systems, opening another route for aerial surveillance and intelligence gathering. But the announcement raises a bigger question: will the technology translate into safer communities, or become another security initiative whose operational impact remains difficult to measure?
The officers, graduates of the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano, completed Basic Unmanned Aircraft Systems Course One, organised by Kaduna-based defence technology company Nethawk Aviation Solutions.
The programme is the first phase of a planned initiative to train 100 police personnel in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). That means the initial cohort represents 30 per cent of the stated target.
At the graduation ceremony on Saturday, 10 October, the company’s founder and chief executive, retired Flight Lieutenant Adedoyin Akerele, described the initiative as an investment in indigenous expertise and the responsible use of aviation technology.
“The graduation marks a significant milestone in Nethawk’s commitment to specialised aviation training, indigenous technical capacity development and the responsible integration of unmanned aircraft systems into authorised security and public-safety operations,” he said.
The ambition is significant. The outstanding question is whether Nigeria can build the operational systems, safeguards and accountability mechanisms needed to make the investment count.
Thirty trained officers are only the beginning
Drones can help security agencies observe difficult terrain, monitor suspicious movements, locate missing persons and provide commanders with aerial information before deploying officers into dangerous environments.
For operations against armed groups in remote forests and poorly accessible communities, that perspective can be valuable. Aerial surveillance may also help investigators document crime scenes, monitor roads and identify escape routes.
The Federal Ministry of Police Affairs has previously advocated wider use of drones to strengthen policing in underserved areas and reduce officers’ exposure to danger. The Nigeria Police Force has also publicly reported aerial surveillance during the 2026 Osun governorship election.
The latest training programme, therefore, should not be treated as the beginning of police drone use. Its importance lies in whether more officers will acquire the skills to operate the systems effectively and whether those skills will be supported by reliable equipment, intelligence analysis and coordinated field operations.
Akerele said the officers had acquired technical knowledge intended to support operations against terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups.
The company’s 2026 training programme, he explained, covers aviation ground school, basic and advanced UAS training, specialised mission qualification, mission planning and strategic operations management.
That range of subjects suggests an ambition extending beyond simply teaching officers to control aircraft. Proper mission planning, image interpretation, communications and coordination with ground units can determine whether aerial surveillance produces useful intelligence.
Yet the announcement does not specify how the 30 graduates will be deployed, which commands will receive them, how many aircraft will be available to them or whether they will have access to the maintenance, communications and analytical support required for sustained operations.
Training is a necessary investment. It is not, by itself, evidence of additional operational capacity.
The missing link between surveillance and results
The central question is not how many officers can fly drones. It is what the police can demonstrate because those officers have been trained.
How many operations will benefit from aerial intelligence? Will drones improve the recovery of abducted victims, the arrest of suspects, the disruption of criminal supply routes or the prevention of attacks?
Will they reduce the number of officers exposed to ambushes? Can commanders show that information gathered from the air leads to faster, more targeted responses on the ground?
The announcement provides no baseline against which to measure such improvements. It also does not disclose the programme’s cost, the training duration, the equipment available to graduates or the timetable for completing the proposed 100-person target.
These omissions do not establish that the initiative is ineffective. They identify the information needed to judge its value.
Nethawk says it has conducted unmanned aircraft operations in more than 65 communities across Nigeria and has four locally developed UAS solutions and platforms in active operation. Akerele also said the company had trained hundreds of aviation personnel for professional roles across law enforcement, the military, oil and gas, and the power sector.
“These achievements reflect Nethawk’s commitment to indigenous expertise, practical technology development and the advancement of Nigeria’s aviation technology ecosystem,” he said.
The claims point to potential opportunities for building local technical capacity and reducing dependence on imported expertise. But the company’s figures have not been accompanied in the announcement by a breakdown of the communities served, the platforms involved, the personnel trained or independently measured security outcomes.
For the police, the next step should be to connect training targets with deployment plans and transparent performance measures. For the company, publishing verifiable information about its local technology and operational experience would help distinguish demonstrated capability from commercial ambition.
The other challenge: who controls the data?
A drone can observe an armed group in remote terrain. It can also record homes, farms, vehicles, public gatherings and people who have no connection to a criminal investigation.
The distinction matters.
Aerial surveillance creates information that may be useful for security operations, but it also raises questions about who can access the footage, how long it is retained, how it is shared and what happens when innocent people are recorded.
Nigeria’s data protection framework establishes principles governing the lawful, fair and transparent handling of personal information, including limiting collection to what is necessary and protecting data against unauthorised access. The precise obligations will depend on the circumstances and applicable legal provisions, but public-safety operations do not make responsible data handling an optional consideration.
The police should therefore be able to explain the rules governing drone surveillance, including who authorises missions, who can review recordings, how evidence is preserved and how misuse can be investigated.
There is also an aviation safety dimension. Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Regulations contain requirements for remotely piloted aircraft systems, while the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has specifically warned against operating such aircraft in controlled airspace without the required authorisation.
The precise requirements for a particular security operation may depend on the operator, aircraft, airspace and applicable permissions. Still, specialist training and operational authorisation must work together if deployments are to be safe and lawful.
The issue is not whether the police should use technology. It is whether technological expansion will be matched by clear rules, proper supervision and enforceable accountability.
Indigenous technology needs sustainable support
Akerele said the initiative was designed to build local expertise and strengthen Nigeria’s aviation technology ecosystem.
“Nethawk’s aviation training initiative forms part of this broader commitment, providing a platform for advancing manned and unmanned aviation education and professional capacity development,” he said.
That approach could support local technical employment, specialised training and the development of Nigerian-designed platforms. But domestic production and local expertise are only part of the equation.
Police drone programmes also require recurring funding for maintenance, batteries, replacement parts, software, secure data storage, operator refresher training and technical support. Without these provisions, a trained workforce can lose its effectiveness when equipment becomes unavailable or systems are poorly maintained.
The announcement does not provide details on how the graduates’ operational requirements will be funded or sustained. Nor does it establish whether the locally developed platforms cited by Nethawk are intended for deployment by these particular officers.
These are practical questions that deserve answers before the proposed expansion becomes a larger programme.
Police leadership backs the initiative
Assistant Commissioner of Police Idri Bunu, who represented Kaduna State Commissioner of Police Rabiu Muhammad, said the training would improve the Force’s ability to confront terrorism and other criminal activities.
“The knowledge acquired by the officers would improve their effectiveness in security operations and enhance the force’s response to emerging threats,” Bunu said.
He commended the initiative, arguing that modern technology had an important role to play in responding to Nigeria’s security challenges.
The Police Headquarters Air Wing was represented by Superintendent of Police O. U. Shadrach. Chief Superintendent of Police Shaibu Patiko, the Divisional Police Officer of Mando Police Station, also attended the ceremony.
Akerele reaffirmed the company’s commitment to training more personnel and strengthening indigenous aviation capabilities as it works towards the 100-officer target.
The real test begins after graduation
Nigeria needs security agencies capable of adapting to the tactics of well-equipped and increasingly mobile criminal groups. Properly deployed drones can contribute to that effort by improving situational awareness and helping commanders make better-informed decisions.
But the graduation of 30 officers is a measure of training activity, not yet a measure of security success.
The next milestones should be tangible: qualified officers assigned to operational units, properly maintained aircraft, lawful and coordinated missions, intelligence that supports effective police action, safeguards for people recorded during surveillance and independently assessable outcomes.
The police and Nethawk have announced an initiative with potential. The public now needs evidence of what follows.
The question is no longer simply whether Nigerian officers can operate drones. It is whether the Force can turn aerial technology into safer communities while ensuring that the power to watch is exercised responsibly.
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