African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has proposed a technology-driven approach to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges, arguing that artificial intelligence and unmanned aerial systems should play a central role in national defence.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, the activist said his administration would prioritise the use of drones and AI-powered systems if elected president, noting that modern warfare increasingly relies on advanced technology rather than conventional methods.

According to him, deploying such systems would be more effective in countering terrorism and violent crime across the country.

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

The former presidential candidate also criticised Nigeria’s military leadership, accusing some senior officers of remaining in the capital rather than actively engaging security threats in the field.

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

Sowore argued that Nigeria’s security architecture requires a comprehensive technological upgrade, including improved equipment and coordination to better confront insurgent groups and criminal networks.

He also called for reforms within the Nigeria Police Force, urging officers to focus on core internal security responsibilities rather than political assignments or social media-related arrests.

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

Outlining his broader security vision, Sowore described a centralised command-and-control system powered by drones and artificial intelligence to track armed groups in real time.

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

When asked whether artificial intelligence itself could serve as head of the defence ministry, he replied in the affirmative, adding, “That’s part of it. And that drone will fly everywhere.”

Despite his emphasis on technology-driven security solutions, Sowore stressed that insecurity cannot be resolved through military means alone. He said economic hardship and unemployment continue to drive some young people into violent groups.

“Ultimately, you must create a society where people can find jobs and go to school, and not be willing to take up arms,” he said.

Sowore has previously advanced similar ideas, including during a January 2026 interview in which he first proposed placing drones and artificial intelligence at the centre of Nigeria’s defence strategy.