TANTITA Security Services has entered into a partnership with U.S.-based Textron Systems to deploy advanced drone technology aimed at strengthening security and surveillance across Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure.
Under the agreement, Textron Systems will supply Aerosonde drone platforms to support monitoring operations in areas affected by crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and sabotage—particularly in the Niger Delta region. The drones are designed to enhance situational awareness and provide persistent surveillance, enabling faster detection and response to illegal activities along pipelines, flow stations, and export terminals.
The partnership also includes technical training for TANTITA personnel, as well as provisions for the possible acquisition of additional aircraft as the company expands its operations. The deal builds on previous collaborations between Nigeria and the United States in drone technology, including earlier U.S. Foreign Military Sales deliveries of Aerosonde systems to Nigeria.
Central to the agreement is the Aerosonde Mk 4.7 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which is capable of operating without a conventional runway. The platform uses a hybrid quadrotor design that allows vertical take‑off and landing before transitioning into fixed‑wing flight, making it well suited for challenging environments such as swamps and creeks common in the Niger Delta. The UAV can carry multiple payloads and conduct long‑endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions over large areas.
Speaking on the development, Waredi Enisour, TANTITA’s Executive Director for Operations and Technical, disclosed that company officials are currently in the United States inspecting the drone systems and understudying the technical processes involved in their deployment and maintenance.
Enisour expressed confidence that the introduction of the UAV technology would significantly reduce incidents of crude oil theft, noting that the drones will provide real‑time, wide‑area surveillance across key oil‑producing zones. According to him, the enhanced visibility will make it more difficult for criminal networks to operate undetected and will 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. He described the acquisition as a milestone that reflects the company’s growing role in safeguarding Nigeria’s critical energy assets.
According to Enisour, the partnership underscores TANTITA’s commitment to deploying cutting‑edge technology to support national efforts to protect oil and gas infrastructure, stabilize production, and curb revenue losses linked to crude oil theft.
