The Nigerian Military may have to adopt modern technology and advanced warfare tactics in the fight against Boko Haram and other militant groups operating throughout Nigeria. The proliferation of Small and Light weapons in Nigeria, as a result of the intervention of the USA and its allies in toppling the regimes of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Saddam Hussein in Iraq, has made Nigeria and its West African neighbors vulnerable to attacks from various militant groups like Boko Haram, ISPWA, and other violent insurgent organizations.
Over the past decade, since the emergence of Boko Haram, the war has continued to rage on, claiming countless lives and causing significant damage to both human lives and property. This ongoing conflict seems to have created a war economy, which is now a harsh reality in the fight against terrorism. Despite claims by some commentators that Boko Haram has been neutralized or defeated, we are constantly confronted with news of fresh kidnappings, heinous murders, and the maiming of innocent lives and property. The recent incident in Bokus, Plateau State on Christmas Eve last year serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat.
To bring an end to this war, a new strategy and critical thinking are required from both the military hierarchy and the Federal Government of Nigeria, as well as other ECOWAS countries facing the same terrorism dilemma. The traditional military tactics and the Obasanjo administration’s Carrot and Stick approach have proven ineffective over the years, necessitating the need to think outside the box. Without a change in approach, we will continue to witness merely motion without any movement. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt new tactics, specifically by leveraging technology as an additional force in this war, to complement the efforts and sacrifices of our gallant troops at the war front.
Commercial drones, initially introduced by Iraq when ISIS deployed drone technology in the battle to capture Mosul, in June 2014 have proven to be effective in warfare. The Russian-Ukrainian war has also witnessed the extensive use of drones by both sides. Without the utilization of drones, along with the commitment and intelligence network of the Ukrainian military, the war would likely have ended within weeks.
Nigeria’s military command must learn from these tactics and incorporate the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for monitoring of movement, intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and attacks on enemy military and tactical positions. Conventional warfare alone has not brought an end to the conflict, therefore, it is time to introduce robotics and Artificial Intelligence to complement our military forces in this ongoing war against terrorism.
On the back of the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence and robotics, the face of warfare has changed dramatically, and Nigeria must embrace these technologies in order to expedite the defeat of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in the country. To achieve this, our military forces require training and orientation on the use of unmanned aircraft systems, such as drones.
It is worth mentioning that the USA Pentagon as recently as October 2023 established the first Academy for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and the Joint Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems University (JCU), in Fort Sill Oklahoma, with plans to train approximately 1,000 troops annually. Nigeria should expedite action towards this development as a long term strategy, to curb the pervasive insecurity in the country, so as to create a long lasting conducive environment for attracting businesses and Foreign Direct Investment into the country.
NB: Sonny Iroche is 2022/2023 Senior Academic Visitor, African Studies Centre University of Oxford, UK. He can be reached on X (Twitter) @IrocheSonny, Email: siiroche5@gmail.com
