Nigeria’s Massive Turkish Drone Deal: 100,000 DASAL Kamikaze UAVs and Local Production

Summary: Nigeria’s NIGUS and Turkish unmanned-systems maker DASAL Aviation Technologies signed a sweeping MoU at the SAHA 2026 expo in Istanbul: 100,000 MIKON kamikaze UAVs, 200 rifle-armed FALCON R556 multirotors and 100 PUHU heavy-lift cargo UAVs. The deal also establishes local assembly, MRO facilities and conditional technology cooperation in Nigeria.

According to military.africa (May 2026), NIGUS International Investment Limited and Turkish manufacturer DASAL Aviation Technologies signed a comprehensive procurement-and-localization MoU at the SAHA 2026 international defense exhibition in Istanbul. Led on the Turkish side by general manager Kutay Çağıl Büyüköztürk, the agreement sets up a long-term logistics and local-assembly framework for Nigeria and the wider ECOWAS region.

DASAL Aviation Technologies, a Turkish maker of unmanned systems and loitering munitions. Image: DASAL.

At a Glance

What happened? Nigeria (NIGUS) – Turkish DASAL drone procurement + localization MoU
Where: SAHA 2026 expo, Istanbul (May 2026)
100,000 MIKON kamikaze UAVs (loitering munitions)
200 FALCON R556 rifle multirotor drones (5.56 mm)
100 PUHU heavy-lift cargo UAV systems (C75/C100)
Plus: MRO facility in Nigeria + conditional technology transfer

What the Deal Covers

100,000 DASAL MIKON kamikaze UAVs: loitering munitions with extended loiter to search for targets before striking.
200 FALCON R556 rifle multirotor drones: 5.56 mm assault rifle integrated; 25-minute endurance, 6 km control range, 55 km/h cruise, 15 kg payload.
100 PUHU heavy-lift cargo UAV systems: C75 and C100 electric rotary-wing platforms for tactical resupply automation.

A kamikaze (loitering munition) class UAV; MIKON finds its target and destroys it in a terminal dive. Image: illustrative.

The Real Story: Localization

The most strategic element is not the numbers but localization. The MoU establishes maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities and “conditional technology cooperation,” enabling domestic assembly and reducing dependence on foreign technical support, with NIGUS acting as regional integration and maintenance hub.

The Nigeria-Turkey Defense Axis

August 2023: Nigeria acquired BAHA and TOGAN tactical UAVs.
December 2024: 43 Bayraktar TB2 drones procured under Project Guardian.
January 2026: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed nine strategic agreements during a state visit to Turkey, with training for 200 Nigerian special-forces personnel announced.

Turkish UAVs are spreading rapidly across emerging markets — driven by affordability, combat experience and localization packages. Image: illustrative.

Why It Matters

A six-figure kamikaze-UAV figure shows loitering munitions becoming a “strategic stockpile” item. By meeting that demand not just with sales but with on-site assembly and technology partnership, Turkey positions itself as one of the few suppliers in Africa that is low-cost, combat-proven and willing to “build it together” — the factor that makes market share durable.