Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL), has signed a partnership agreement with United States–based Textron Systems for the supply of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Under the agreement, Textron Systems will provide Aerosonde drone platforms to support security and surveillance operations around Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure, which has for years been plagued by crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and acts of sabotage, particularly in the Niger Delta region.
Textron Systems said the drones were designed to enhance situational awareness and provide persistent monitoring of critical energy assets, helping security operators detect and respond more quickly to illegal activities along pipelines, flow stations and export terminals.
The partnership also covers technical training for TANTITA personnel and provisions for the possible acquisition of additional aircraft as the company expands its operational footprint.
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The deal builds on earlier engagements between Nigeria and the United States in the area of drone technology, including previous U.S. Foreign Military Sales deliveries of Aerosonde systems to Nigeria.
The Aerosonde Mk 4.7 UAV, which forms the core of the agreement, is engineered to operate without a conventional runway.
It employs a hybrid quadrotor configuration that enables vertical take-off and landing before transitioning into fixed-wing flight.
This design allows the platform to operate in difficult terrain such as swamps and creeks, making it particularly suited to the Niger Delta environment.
The UAV can carry multiple payloads and conduct long-endurance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions over wide areas.
Waredi Enisour, TANTITA’s Executive Director for Operations and Technical, disclosed that company officials are currently in the United States to inspect the drone systems in operation and understudy the technical processes involved in their deployment and maintenance.
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Enisour expressed confidence that the introduction of the UAV technology would significantly reduce incidents of crude oil theft, noting that the drones would provide real-time, wide-area surveillance coverage across key oil-producing zones.
He said the enhanced visibility would make it harder for criminal networks to operate undetected and would improve response times to security breaches.
He further revealed that TANTITA is the first private security firm in Nigeria to acquire the Aerosonde UAV platform equipped with full Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, describing the milestone as a reflection of the company’s growing role in safeguarding national energy assets.
According to Enisour, the partnership with Textron Systems underscores TANTITA’s commitment to deploying cutting-edge technology in support of Nigeria’s efforts to protect its oil and gas infrastructure, boost production stability and curb revenue losses linked to crude oil theft.
