African Drone Manufacturers Seek 'Security Sovereignty'

African drone manufacturers, led by Nigeria's Terra Industries, are scaling domestic production to reduce reliance on imports from China, Pakistan and Türkiye. Nine African countries now produce drones locally, with Terra targeting 30,000 units annually in Nigeria and 50,000 in a new Ghana facility, serving both domestic militaries and export markets across eight countries. If you build drone components, sensors, power systems or autonomy software, African militaries are now buying local instead of importing - and Terra's scale targets 80,000 units annually across two factories. That's a proven buyer with no alternative supply chain.