Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has said he would rely heavily on drone technology to tackle insecurity if elected Nigeria’s president.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Sowore declared that a drone would effectively serve as his “minister of defence,” stressing the importance of technology-driven security operations.
“If I become Nigeria’s president tomorrow, my minister of defence will be a drone. That’s how much I believe in technology,” he said.
The former presidential candidate argued that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity requires modern surveillance systems, artificial intelligence and advanced military technology rather than traditional approaches.
According to him, many senior military officers have failed in leadership by remaining in Abuja instead of actively coordinating operations against insurgents and bandits across the country.
“We need leaders and officers who are not sitting in Abuja fighting over land but are actually fighting wars and developing strategies,” Sowore stated.
He also criticised the Nigeria Police Force, accusing it of focusing more on protecting politicians and arresting critics on social media than maintaining internal security.
Sowore explained that his proposed security system would depend on drones and AI-powered monitoring centres capable of tracking criminal groups and responding rapidly to threats nationwide.
“I’m going to have a control centre where people track terrorists and neutralise them,” he said, adding that artificial intelligence would play a major role in such operations.
Despite his emphasis on military technology, the activist maintained that insecurity cannot be solved through force alone. He said unemployment, poverty and lack of education continue to push many young Nigerians into crime and violent activities.
“Ultimately, you must create a society where people can work, go to school and have opportunities instead of taking up arms,” he added.
Sowore had earlier made a similar proposal during a January 2026 interview, where he first suggested a drone-led defence strategy for Nigeria.
