By Ogbeni Olawale Dawodu
ABUJA— In a sprawling industrial complex tucked within Nigeria’s capital, Dr. Bright Echefu is making a bold assertion and backing it up with drones, data, and determination.
“Nigeria has the capacity, 100 percent, to end insurgency with what we have on ground today,” Echefu declared during a high-level media tour in Abuja this week, where he unveiled the cutting-edge work of his tech conglomerate, EIB Group.
With an air of quiet confidence, Echefu, who serves as President and Managing Director of EIB Group, guided journalists through several of the group’s subsidiaries, from Briech UAS, which manufactures combat-grade drones, to EIB Stratoc, a fully Nigerian owned defense-tech firm that integrates satellite surveillance directly into TV decoder systems. The group also includes Bright FM, Luft Pay TV, and Luftreiber Automobile, a clear signal that his ambitions extend far beyond media and into the very heart of Nigeria’s evolving security apparatus.
“What we are building is not just a business,” Echefu told reporters. “It’s a self-reliant national defense ecosystem. Homegrown, innovative, and built for Nigeria’s future.”
The tour served as more than a corporate showcase. It was a declaration that the era of dependency on foreign defense hardware may be nearing its end, and that the blueprint for Nigeria’s security independence is already in motion.
According to Echefu, strategic partnerships with Nigeria’s military are not just symbolic, they are functional. EIB Stratoc employs over 1,000 Nigerians, many of whom work directly with military personnel in field operations. The collaboration spans joint research, operational deployment, and direct procurement for the armed forces.
“The military doesn’t just encourage us, they protect and patronize us,” he said. “That alliance is vital. It keeps the industry alive.”
The stakes are high. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, has been grappling with a decade-long insurgency in its northeastern region, costing thousands of lives and billions in economic damage. While foreign military assistance has long played a role, voices like Echefu’s are reshaping the narrative: homegrown solutions are not only viable, they’re essential.
Echefu pointed to local innovations that are already transforming the landscape. His group’s UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are designed for terrain-specific surveillance and tactical support, tailored to Nigeria’s complex operational environments. Other subsidiaries are pushing boundaries in satellite broadcasting, digital communications, and transport technologies.
“We’re not building fighter jets,” Echefu admitted. “But the Air Force can now maintain its fleet locally. That alone speaks volumes about our technical advancement.”
Still, challenges remain. Demand for locally produced defense equipment is outpacing supply. Echefu stressed the need for government-backed expansion, urging policymakers to broaden financial support, streamline procurement, and include more local firms in defense contracts.
“The policies are moving in the right direction,” he said. “But we must scale faster. The gap between what we can produce and what is needed is still wide.”
Analysts say Echefu’s vision aligns with the federal government’s “ease of doing business” reforms and its push for import substitution in strategic sectors like defense and agriculture. As Nigeria positions itself as a regional industrial power, entrepreneurs like Echefu are emerging as central figures in the nation’s security and economic transformation.
“People are producing tractors in Nigeria now,” Echefu noted. “It’s not just us. There’s a whole ecosystem emerging.”
For now, that ecosystem is still taking root. But if Echefu’s blueprint holds, Nigeria’s future battles may be won not just on the front-lines but in the factories, labs, and studios of innovators determined to secure the nation from within.
