By Son Tertsegha, Abuja

Nigerian defence-technology startup Terra Industries has raised another $18 million, taking its seed funding to $52 million amid preparation to open a drone factory in Ghana and launch its first international office in London.

Nathan Nwachuku, 22, and Maxwell Maduka, 24 are founders of the Abuja-based startup Terra Industries.

Its 34,000-square-foot Pax-2 factory in Ghana is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter and is expected to produce up to 50,000 aerial systems a year by 2028.

The funding gives the Nigerian company more capital to manufacture in Africa while expanding its sales and operations beyond the continent.

The company said the latest funding will support manufacturing, engineering, operations and business-development teams, as well as deployments across Africa and other markets in the Global South.

Terra’s Pax-2 factory in Ghana is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter. The 34,000-square-foot facility is expected to become Africa’s largest drone factory once operational, according to the company.

It is a significant next step after Terra’s funding reached $34 million in February, when the startup said it was scaling production of drones, surveillance towers and unmanned ground vehicles.

The Ghana facility is a more defined version of the company’s earlier plan to expand its manufacturing base beyond Nigeria. It will follow Terra’s 15,000-square-foot flagship factory in Abuja.

Terra says its systems are already used to help protect power plants, mines and other critical infrastructure assets valued at about $11 billion across multiple African countries.

The latest raise also comes as African governments and infrastructure operators look for locally built alternatives in a sector where the continent still receives a small share of global defence-technology funding.

From Abuja to Accra and London

Terra was founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka. It develops autonomous aerial, land and maritime systems, including drones, interceptor drones, surveillance towers and unmanned ground vehicles.

Terra’s additional capital was provided by existing investors 8VC, Silent Ventures, Nova Global, Belief Capital and SV Angel. Norleo Space Investments and Grant Gordon also joined the round, Terra said in its funding announcement.

The company will open an office in London while keeping manufacturing in Africa. It plans further expansion across the Gulf, South America and South Asia.

The factory timetable

Pax-2 is expected to produce up to 50,000 systems a year by 2028. That figure is a company target, not current output.

The new factory is designed to produce Terra’s aerial-systems portfolio. Its planned capacity is more than three times the size of the company’s existing Abuja factory by floor area.

The project gives Ghana a direct role in the company’s next production phase, while Nigeria remains home to its original factory and founding team.

The funding does not mean the factory is already operational. Terra has said Pax-2 is due to open in the fourth quarter, and the planned annual capacity is tied to its 2028 target.

–NAE President, Prof Bello

By Nick Ibe, Abuja

The proposed mandatory one-year Engineering Residency Programme by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has been welcomed because it will enhance skill competence and make engineers more attractive as well as employable. This is the view of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, NAE.

This was disclosed by President of the Academy, Prof. Rahamon Bello, while speaking to journalists ahead of its apex event, which includes investiture of past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, as the 14th President of the NAE, its 2026 NAE yearly lecture, presentation of Lifetime Achievement Awards to 10 fellows and induction of 12 new honorary fellows, to be held in Lagos.

The proposed Engineering Residency Programme (ERP), when operational in Nigeria, will be a mandatory, one-year post-graduation training initiative to be anchored by COREN, designed for fresh engineering graduates to build practical, industry-aligned skills and complete professional requirements before proceeding to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He said the residency programme, which has received the blessings of NAE, National Universities Commission (NUC) and other stakeholders, is the right way to deepen the competence of budding engineers in the country.

Bello explained further that the new curriculum the NUC had just come up with has allowed universities to engage external industry stakeholders to add value to the theoretical aspects of what engineering students are learning. In his words:

“I think the new curriculum will formalise internships for engineers. It hasn’t come up yet, but I believe that’s the way we have to go. So, as doctors go on internship, pharmacists go on internship, engineers will not be left out,” he said.

Bello, who is also the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, said the Academy has officially submitted critical advocacy papers to the Federal Government, offering actionable engineering solutions to deep-seated national crises. According to him, the NAE has also been active in fulfilling its mandate as a think-tank for the engineering sector by organising strategic policy dialogues on engineering solutions for energy, efficient and profitable operation of the nation’s refineries, transportation, wastewater management, environmental stability and climate change, among others.

Innovation often begins with solving problems that others consider impossible. For Dr Robert Sola Okojie, a Nigerian-born engineer and inventor, that pursuit has led to a career spanning more than two decades at Nasa and groundbreaking contributions to space technology.

After 21 years at Nasa and securing 21 US patents, he was inducted into the Nasa Inventors Hall of Fame in November 2020, becoming one of the agency’s most distinguished innovators. His pioneering work on silicon carbide-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) has enabled electronic devices to operate in some of the harshest environments imaginable, supporting future missions in space exploration, advanced engineering, high-temperature sensing, aerospace propulsion systems, planetary exploration, and next-generation electronic technologies designed for extreme operating conditions.

Who is Dr Robert Sola Okojie?
Dr Robert Sola Okojie is a Nigerian-born engineer, inventor and researcher renowned for his contributions to aerospace engineering and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Throughout his career at Nasa’s Glenn Research Center, he has specialised in developing advanced semiconductor technologies capable of functioning under extreme temperatures, intense radiation and other demanding conditions encountered during space missions.

His work has earned widespread recognition within the scientific community, leading to numerous patents and prestigious awards for technological innovation.

Why Dr Robert Sola Okojie was inducted into Nasa’s Inventors Hall of Fame

In November 2019, Dr Okojie was inducted into the Nasa Inventors Hall of Fame in recognition of his exceptional record of innovation. By that time, he had spent 21 years at Nasa and had been awarded 21 US patents, reflecting his significant contributions to the agency’s technological capabilities.

The honour recognises Nasa researchers whose inventions have had a lasting impact on aerospace science, engineering and technological advancement.

Dr Okojie received the 2012 Nasa Glenn Research Center Distinguished Publication Award in 2012, in 2009 the Abe Silverstein Medal for Research, and numerous other awards between 2002 and 2018.

Why the achievement matters

Okojie’s journey is an inspiring example of how talent, perseverance and scientific curiosity can lead to global recognition. His induction not only his personal accomplishments but also the growing contributions of African scientists and engineers to international space research. For aspiring innovators, particularly those from developing countries, his career demonstrates that groundbreaking discoveries and world-class engineering can emerge from determination, expertise and a commitment to solving complex scientific challenges.

How his inventions are advancing space exploration

As noted in the Nasa Technology Transfer Program, Dr Okojie is internationally recognised as a leading expert in silicon carbide-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Silicon carbide is an advanced semiconductor material capable of operating in environments where conventional silicon electronics would fail, including extremely high temperatures and high-radiation conditions.

His research has contributed to the development of sensors, actuators and electronic systems designed for demanding applications such as planetary exploration, aerospace propulsion, energy systems and industrial monitoring. These innovations are helping expand the capabilities of future spacecraft and scientific instruments, ensuring reliable performance in environments that push modern engineering to its limits.
TOI Science Desk