Drone will be my defence minister - Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, an activist and presidential candidate for the African Action Congress party, has stated that if elected president of Nigeria, he would appoint a drone as his minister of defense, highlighting his strong belief in technology's role in national security.

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If I become Nigeria’s president tomorrow, my minister of defence will be a drone. That’s how much I believe in technology.

During a live interview on Arise TV, Sowore argued that Nigeria's escalating security challenges necessitate an urgent technological transformation. He stressed the need for advanced equipment, technology, and crucially, "honest leaders and supervisors and officers" to effectively combat insecurity. Sowore criticized the military leadership for remaining in the capital instead of actively engaging in warfare, advocating for generals capable of strategic planning and decisive action.

Sowore also called for a refocused Nigerian police force, emphasizing its core mandate of internal security rather than performing duties like escorting individuals or arresting people for online insults. He envisioned a command-and-control security architecture heavily reliant on drones and artificial intelligence, proposing a central control center to track and neutralize terrorists.

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We have to have honest leaders and supervisors and officers who are not staying in Abuja fighting over land but actually fighting wars, generals who can actually strategise and do what is right.

When the interviewer suggested appointing artificial intelligence itself as the minister of defense, Sowore agreed, stating, "That's part of it. And that drone will fly everywhere." However, he cautioned that technology alone is insufficient to end insecurity. Sowore asserted that any lasting solution must address the underlying conditions that drive young people toward militancy, emphasizing the need to create a society with ample job opportunities and access to education.

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A police force that can carry out internal security of the country, not escorting people or arresting people for insulting others on Facebook.

This is not the first time Sowore has proposed the drone-minister idea. He previously floated the concept in January 2026 during an interview on Channels TV, signaling a consistent focus on leveraging technology to address Nigeria's complex security landscape.

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I’m just going to have a control centre where people sit down and track terrorists and liquidate them.