Poor Funding, Manpower Gaps Hindering Military’s Use Of Technology — NCTC
The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) has said inadequate funding and manpower shortages are significantly limiting the Nigerian Armed Forces’ ability to fully deploy technology to enhance operational effectiveness.
The Coordinator of the Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, made this known during a lecture delivered at the inauguration of Naval Warfare Course 10 in Calabar on Friday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Speaking through the NCTC Director of Intelligence, Brigadier General Peter Gbor, Laka noted that while advanced technology—particularly artificial intelligence—has become central to modern military operations globally, Nigeria continues to face serious challenges in deploying such systems.
He explained that the absence of robust artificial intelligence infrastructure has slowed the integration of technology into core military operations, despite growing institutional awareness of its importance.
According to Laka, assessments of ongoing research and development initiatives show that advanced AI applications remain underdeveloped, poorly coordinated and insufficiently integrated across services, largely due to funding constraints and limited technical expertise.
He said Nigeria currently has about 53,460 base transceiver stations, far below the estimated 80,000 required to support optimal 4G and 5G network speeds, leading to poor data quality and weak system integration.
Laka added that Nigeria’s digital limitations are reflected in its ranking of 86th out of 117 countries in digital well-being, attributing this largely to poor internet connectivity. He also noted that while Nigeria invested about $4bn in ICT infrastructure between 2010 and 2021, Rwanda spent over $12bn within the same period.
The NCTC coordinator further identified a shortage of AI-trained specialists as a major setback, noting that artificial intelligence is taught in only a few tertiary institutions nationwide.
However, he disclosed that efforts were underway to address these challenges from the first quarter of 2027 through increased funding and partnerships with local AI institutions.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the Naval War College, Rear Admiral Mohammed Muye, said the Armed Forces were gradually shifting towards greater reliance on technology, driven by the growing technological sophistication of adversaries.