The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, says the future strength of the Nigerian military lies in its ability to embrace homegrown technology and innovation.
Ogalla stated this on Thursday, at the Nigerian Navy Seminar on Research and Development in Abuja, themed “Utilising Emerging Technology for Enhanced Operational Effectiveness”.
He was represented at the event by the Chief of Communication and Information Technology (Navy), Rear Adm. Hamza Kaoje.
Ogalla said the nation’s ability to dominate its maritime environment and secure its oil-rich waters would depend less on fleet size and more on technological superiority and innovation.
According to Ogalla, the Nigerian Navy and indeed the nation are facing an era of asymmetric, fast-evolving threats where pirates, oil thieves, smugglers and insurgent groups are increasingly using unmanned platforms, encrypted communications and advanced navigation tools.
“The battle for maritime security will no longer be won by numerical strength or conventional platforms.
“It will be decided by who has superior innovation, intelligence, adaptability and technological sophistication,” he said.
The Naval Chief said Nigeria must urgently move beyond dependence on imported technologies and begin to develop mission-critical assets locally.
He listed radars, navigation systems, drones, secure communications gear and surveillance systems as areas where domestic research and production must be accelerated.
“This is not about prestige; it is a matter of strategic necessity.
“Our long-term security demands solutions developed by Nigerian minds, tailored to Nigerian realities, and manufactured by Nigerian industries,” he stressed.
Ogalla said the navy was already recording modest gains in local shipbuilding through the Naval Dockyard Limited (NDL) and the Naval Shipyard Limited (NSL), but insisted the pace must quicken.
He added that the service would soon launch innovation hubs, hackathons and ideation labs across formations to harness the creativity of innovators in uniform.
He explained that the service was also prioritising the welfare of its personnel through new bases, barracks and support facilities, noting that innovation must go hand in hand with motivated and well-equipped sailors.
“R&D can no longer be treated as an academic exercise. It must be institutionalised as a core strategic asset, on par with personnel, weapons and logistics,” he said.
The CNS called for whole-of-society support to make the vision a reality, urging lawmakers to provide policy and funding support, the private sector to partner in manufacturing and testing, and universities to help translate research into field-ready technologies.
He further stressed that genuine technology transfer agreements must replace dependence on foreign imports.
Earlier, the Chief Transformation (Navy), Rear Adm. Monday Unurhiere, said the impact of technological advancement on military operations was well documented and would remain topical for as long as conflicts persist in human society.
Unurhiere said that technology had consistently shaped the outcomes of battles in favour of those who effectively harnessed it.
He said the seminar was most appropriate, coming at a time when the Armed Forces of Nigeria were committed to eliminating the diverse threats to national security.
According to him, the two-day seminar is part of the Navy’s ongoing efforts to deepen its research ecosystem and accelerate the integration of emerging technologies into its operational doctrine.
In his lecture, AVM Osichinaka Ubadike, a Professor of Aerospace Engineering, called for concerted effort on the part of the Nigerian Navy to enhance its ingenuity in UAV technology to aid its maritime operations.
Ubadike said the place of research and development as well as innovation could not be overlooked in modern day warfare.
He emphasised the need for more local initiatives and innovation while urging the services to look inwards and encourage transfer of technology. (NAN)
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