Army Tests Indigenous Military Technologies to Boost Operational Capabilities
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening indigenous research, technological innovation and equipment maintenance to enhance operational effectiveness and reduce dependence on foreign military hardware.
Shaibu stated this while declaring open a field test of military prototypes at the Jaji Military Cantonment Range in Kaduna State, held from October 5 to 8, 2026.
Represented by the Commander, Infantry Corps, Major General GM Mutkut, the Army Chief said his command philosophy prioritised improvements in logistics, sustainment, maintenance and equipment systems to ensure enduring operational capabilities.
He described the exercise as a significant transition from showcasing innovative ideas to evaluating selected prototypes under realistic field conditions.
According to him, indigenous research and technological innovation are essential to closing capability gaps, strengthening equipment support systems and reducing reliance on external sources.
He explained that the field test was designed to assess the functionality, operational effectiveness and suitability of the prototypes for military deployment.
Shaibu urged the assessment team to uphold professionalism and objectivity throughout the exercise, stressing that credible evaluations were necessary to deliver dependable results.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for his strategic guidance and continued support for the Nigerian Army.
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Earlier, the Chief of Transformation and Innovation, Army, Major General POA Okoye, described the exercise as a significant milestone in the service’s efforts to strengthen research and development, innovation and indigenous technological capabilities.
Okoye said the field tests would help address identified operational challenges, facilitate necessary adjustments and improve the performance of locally developed military technologies.
He added that the exercise provided end-users with opportunities to interact directly with the prototypes and offer operational feedback to guide further development and refinement.
The Army’s Chief of Transformation and Innovation urged researchers and evaluators to provide accurate and objective assessments to support informed decisions on the suitability of the prototypes for military use.
In his overview of the exercise, the Deputy Chief of Transformation and Innovation, Brigadier General HI Dasuki, noted that militaries worldwide had developed varying levels of self-sufficiency in producing military hardware.
He encouraged military and civilian research and development institutions to leverage the initiative to deepen their expertise and contribute to Nigeria’s indigenous defence technology capacity.
The week-long exercise featured locally developed military hardware from the Nigerian Defence Academy, the Nigerian Army Signals Maintenance Command, Nigerian Army Engineers, the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport, the Nigerian Army College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, and the Nigerian Army College of Environmental Science and Technology.
Other participating companies included PRIMETEK Multi-business Solutions, PROFORCE Limited, Tera Haptic Industries and DICON Gray Insignia.
The statement also disclosed that field testing of indigenous military software products was conducted at the Nigerian Army Space Command in Giri, Abuja.
The exercise brought together corps commanders, commandants of Nigerian Army institutions, serving senior military officers and retired officers.
By PRNigeria
