In furtherance of its mandate to produce highly skilled, combat-ready and mission-oriented officers and soldiers for deployment across the various theatres of operation nationwide, the Nigerian Army School of Infantry (NASI) has on Friday, 22 May 2026 graduated the pioneer set of instructors following the successful completion of the Low-Level Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Train-the-Trainers Course at the Support Weapons Wing.
A statement signed by Captain Shamsudeen Umar Acting assistant director army public relations, Nigerian Army school of infantry said the landmark training underscores the Nigerian Army’s deliberate drive towards technological advancement, intelligence-driven operations and modern battlefield dominance through the integration of tactical drone capabilities into operational planning and execution.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, the Commandant NASI, Major General Frank Sunday Etim, stated that the course was specifically structured to equip personnel with the requisite tactical expertise for effective UAV deployment in operational environments, particularly in intelligence gathering, surveillance, target acquisition, force protection and the decisive neutralisation of emerging security threats across the country. Represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff Administration, Headquarters NASI, Colonel Victor Oche, the Commandant charged the graduating instructors to institutionalise the knowledge acquired, maintain uncompromising professional standards and aggressively build the capacity of future UAV operators who will be trained under their supervision.
Major General Etim commended the facilitators from the Nigerian Army Space Command for their exceptional professionalism, technical competence and dedication throughout the intensive training exercise. He reaffirmed that NASI, through its newly established UAV Division, remains resolute in sustaining continuous capacity development aimed at producing highly proficient tactical UAV operators capable of supporting ongoing military operations and enhancing operational effectiveness across all theatres.
Earlier, the Training Coordinator from the Nigerian Army Space Command, Lieutenant Colonel Harmiyau Kudaisi, noted that UAV systems have fundamentally transformed contemporary warfare by providing real-time situational awareness, improving operational precision, minimising battlefield risks and accelerating tactical decision-making at critical points of engagement. He disclosed that during the rigorous training period, the graduating instructors surpassed established benchmarks by recording an impressive 12 hours of live flight operations and 15 hours of intensive simulator training. According to him, the participants mastered not only UAV flight control systems, but also mission planning, systems engineering, operational coordination and critical safety protocols expected of elite drone operators in modern combat environments.
High point of the event was the presentation of merit awards and a group photograph.
