Terra Industries has closed $2 million in contracts to protect lithium mining operations in Nigeria, marking the first commercial deal for the Nigerian defence technology company’s newly launched commercial division.
The Deal
The contracts cover two undisclosed mining companies operating in Nigeria’s lithium sector. Under the agreements, Terra will deploy 20 sentry towers and four Iroko drones across the mining sites to provide surveillance, real-time threat detection, and rapid response capabilities. All systems will run on ArtemisOS, Terra’s proprietary autonomous command and control software platform.
The company said the deployment will initially cover the two operators, with further expansion planned as they bring additional mining sites into production.
A Fast Start for the Commercial Division
The speed of the deal stands out. Terra’s commercial division only launched on August 28, 2026, meaning the company closed its first paying contracts within roughly a week of standing up the unit. The division was built to extend Terra’s autonomous security systems beyond government and military contracts to privately owned infrastructure operators across Africa, the Gulf, South America, and South Asia.
The commercial push is led by Todd Stiefler, a former Palantir executive who was appointed director of commercial in August. Terra has also brought on former SpaceX executive Ben MacWilliams as VP of Strategy, and the company has announced plans to open Africa’s largest drone factory in Ghana before the end of the year, alongside its existing manufacturing facility in Nigeria. It also recently opened its first office outside Africa, in London.
Why Lithium Security Matters
Lithium has become a strategic mineral for Nigeria as the country works to attract investment into battery-material processing. That effort has been complicated by illegal and artisanal mining activity. In May 2026, Nigeria’s Security and Civil Defence Corps arrested and arraigned 15 Chinese nationals and nine Nigerians over alleged illegal lithium mining in Kokona Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, after authorities said the group was operating without lawful authority inside an area covered by an existing exploration licence.
Terra has positioned itself as a technological answer to this security gap. Mining, oil, and power operators across Africa often manage high-value assets in locations where formal security coverage is thin and emergency response times are long, a gap the company’s autonomous towers and drones are designed to close.
Terra’s Broader Track Record
Before launching its commercial division, Terra’s technology was already deployed to protect power plants, mines, and other critical infrastructure valued at approximately $11 billion across multiple African countries, including the Geometric Power Plant in Aba and hydropower plants in northern Nigeria. The company says it is on track to surpass $100 million in contract bookings by the end of 2026.
Founded in 2024 by Nathan Nwachuku and Maxwell Maduka, Terra builds integrated air, land, and maritime security systems and has said its in-house manufacturing of airframes, propellers, battery packs, and software allows it to significantly undercut international competitors on hardware pricing. The company raised $11.75 million in January 2026 in a round led by 8VC, and closed a $52 million seed round in August 2026 as it scales operations and expands into new markets.
The Bigger Picture
The lithium mining contracts represent a quick validation of Terra’s push into private-sector security work, an area the company had largely left untapped while focused on government and critical infrastructure clients. As Nigeria works to formalise its battery-mineral sector and attract serious industrial investment, security is emerging as a prerequisite rather than an afterthought, and Terra is positioning itself to capture that demand as more mining operators come online.
