An Abuja-based defence-technology and robotics startup, Terra Industries, has secured contracts worth $2 million to provide security for lithium mining operations in Nigeria, marking a major expansion of locally developed technology into the country’s rapidly growing mining sector.

The multimillion-dollar deal comes just one week after the company launched its new commercial division, signalling an early breakthrough for the startup as it moves to deploy its defence and robotics capabilities in commercial operations.

Under the contracts, Terra Industries will provide security infrastructure for two lithium mining operators, with its technology expected to help protect mining sites against security threats and improve surveillance around the facilities.

The security deployment will include 20 sentry towers and four Iroko drones, creating a technology-driven surveillance network across the mining operations. The combination of fixed sentry systems and aerial platforms is expected to provide operators with broader visibility over their sites.

The development comes as lithium continues to attract growing attention in Nigeria because of its importance to the global energy-transition economy. The mineral is a key component in many rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, energy-storage systems and electronic devices.

Terra Industries’ contracts also highlight the increasing role of Nigerian technology companies in developing security solutions for strategic economic assets. Rather than relying solely on conventional security arrangements, the deployment demonstrates how robotics, aerial surveillance and automated monitoring can be integrated into the protection of critical industrial operations.

With $2 million in contracts secured only days after launching its commercial arm, Terra Industries is emerging as a notable player in Nigeria’s defence-technology and robotics space. Its lithium-mining deployment could also provide a major test of how home-grown technology can be scaled to protect the country’s expanding mineral resources.