Terra Industries, a startup based in Abuja and Accra, designs and manufactures drones, autonomous surveillance towers and unmanned ground vehicles, and says its systems protect infrastructure valued at roughly $11 billion in eight African countries and Canada. African militaries have historically relied on imported drones and surveillance equipment from Turkey, China and Russia, leaving the continent dependent on foreign suppliers for border monitoring, maritime security and critical infrastructure protection. Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, both in their early twenties, the company develops its own software, airframes, propellers and lithium‑ion battery packs, with more than 70 percent of its inputs sourced locally. Its Archer drone and other systems are used for maritime surveillance, border monitoring and the protection of pipelines, power plants, energy and mining assets across the region. The company operates a production facility in Ghana that it says will become Africa’s largest drone manufacturing hub, with an annual capacity of 50,000 units by 2028, and plans to expand sales to governments in South Asia and South America. Terra raised $34 million in seed funding led by 8VC, Lux Capital and Valor Equity Partners, investors that have backed defence and advanced manufacturing firms such as Anduril and SpaceX. The investment round closed in under two weeks, and Terra’s director of communications said the cap table includes investors shaping the future of defence and manufacturing. According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), JNIM, an al‑Qaeda‑linked coalition, carried out more than 100 drone attacks since 2023, with 2025 recording the highest number, prompting Terra to develop the Kama interceptor drone capable of speeds up to 300 kph to counter hostile drones where traditional air defence is unavailable. Janice Greaver, director at PASIDA, said local production alone does not ensure defence sovereignty, noting concerns about intellectual property control, employment practices and the lack of civil‑society oversight. Whether Terra’s manufacturing capacity translates into genuine defence sovereignty will depend on how governments procure, regulate and oversee the technology, a question that remains unresolved.