Nigerian defence-tech startup Terra Industries has named Nnamdi Chife as its Vice President of Military Relations, strengthening the company’s leadership as it expands partnerships with the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Chife joins the company at a pivotal moment, shortly after Terra signed a memorandum of understanding with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to establish a joint venture focused on local assembly, research, and training in drones, robotics, and cybersecurity systems. His role will center on managing military relationships and guiding strategic decisions at the board level.

“Nnamdi Chife is a Counter Insurgency specialist with a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies and over 15 years of experience in Nigeria’s defence sector,” Terra Industries said. “He will lead the company’s military engagement strategy and advise the CEO and Board on operations and partnerships.”

Chife previously served on Terra’s board during its transformation from Terrahaptix to Terra Industries and brings extensive experience in security intelligence. He founded Chive GPS in 2018, a Lagos-based firm specializing in conflict resolution, geolocation intelligence, and asset tracing, and has worked closely with agencies including the EFCC on fraud and cross-border security cases.

Terra Industries, founded in 2023 by CEO Nathan Nwachuku and co-founder Maxwell Maduka, has raised $34 million from investors including 8VC, Lux Capital, and Resilience17 Capital, making it Africa’s most-funded defence-tech startup. With Chife on board, the company aims to strengthen local military partnerships and deliver advanced defence solutions to Nigeria and African militaries confronting insurgency and security challenges.