Nigerian defence technology company Terra Industries has secured a $1 million contract to provide autonomous surveillance and security at the Jema’a Resource Project in Kaduna state, as Nigeria seeks to attract investment into its critical minerals sector.
The phase-one contract was awarded by Anka Metals and covers security at the project in Gidan Waya, where deposits of gold, lithium, copper and nickel have been identified, Terra said.
The Jema’a project is being developed through a special-purpose vehicle established by Kaduna Mining Development Company (KMDC) after a discovery by Kian Smith for the KMDC-Anka Metals joint venture.
In July, KMDC and the Africa Finance Corporation signed agreements worth $500 million to support mining development across Kaduna, including the Jema’a project as it moves towards commercial production.
Terra said its latest contract forms part of a rapid expansion of its commercial mining-security business. The company said it had recently secured $2 million in contracts to protect two lithium mining operations in Nigeria.
The contracts involve deploying 20 sentry towers and four Iroko drones across the two sites. Terra said the systems use its ArtemisOS autonomous command-and-control platform for surveillance, threat detection and response, with operators planning to expand deployments as additional sites come online.
Nigeria has been seeking to attract international investment into its mining industry as it looks to diversify its economy beyond oil and develop domestic supply chains for minerals considered important to the energy transition.
Nigeria and the United States are also moving towards a formal agreement on mining cooperation, with the two countries expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the 2026 United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The planned agreement follows discussions between Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake and U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Keith Heffern.
The talks have covered geological exploration, mining, mineral processing, refining, value addition and the development of secure supply chains for critical minerals.
Terra has also attracted significant U.S. investment. The company raised $52 million in a seed round that included U.S. venture capital firms 8VC, Lux Capital and Valor Equity Partners, among other investors.
It said the funding would support manufacturing, international expansion and deployments across multiple markets.
For mining companies and investors, security is becoming an increasingly important consideration as Nigeria attempts to move mineral projects from exploration into commercial production. The country’s mining sector has historically faced challenges including illegal mining, theft and insecurity in some resource-rich areas.
Stay ahead of the Stories shaping our world. Subscribe to Impact Newswire and join our
WhatsApp Channel for updates on global tech, business, and innovation—all in one place.
Dive deeper into the future with the Cause Effect 4.0 Podcast, where we explore the ideas, trends, and technologies driving the global AI conversation.
Got a story to share? Contact Us to reach a global audience with Impact Newswire.
Mohd Hassan has extensive experience in news gathering, editing, and writing for the newswire industry, Contact – Info@impactnews-wire.com
Discover more from Impact Newswire
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
