Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2023, says he would prioritise drone technology over traditional military fighter jets if he becomes Nigeria’s president.
Speaking on Monday during his appearance on Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme, Sowore said drones would be effective in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and banditry.
“If I’m president of Nigeria, I’m not buying any jet anymore. I’m buying unmanned aerial vehicles. I want to invest in drones. They are pretty expensive, but they are more effective,” he said.
Sowore said drones provide better surveillance with fewer personnel, adding that drones can be deployed to track kidnappers and other criminals in difficult terrains.
“You can just have five persons operate ten drones. Even the drones that they buy for two thousand dollars, I have two of them, and they get seized all the time. They can cover a four-kilometre radius within twenty minutes,” Sowore said.
“If I have ten unmanned drones and operators, and I hear there is a kidnapper walking in the bush, I can use that drone to at least track them for a while, until the police can then conduct their cordon,” he said.
“If I’m president of Nigeria, I won’t have a minister of defence. My minister of defence would be a drone.”
He added that buying multiple drones for a state would significantly improve security, while investing in costly fighter jets that require lengthy training and complex maintenance is inefficient.
On his broader priorities, Sowore said his first focus would be to restore electricity supply across Nigeria.
“It would be a general awareness of dignity. For the first time, you would feel like you’re Nigerian. You’d feel like you’ve come to a country that has respect for you and people ready to work from day one,” he said.
“My priorities are many but one of the first ones is to turn on electricity in Nigeria. It would be my first priority because it would have impact on security.”
