Terra Industries has closed $2 million in contracts to protect lithium mining operations in Nigeria, one week after launching its new commercial division.
The contracts cover two mining companies for which Terra will deploy a fleet of 20 sentry towers and 4 Iroko drones across their sites for surveillance, real-time threat detection, and response, all running on ArtemisOS, Terra’s autonomous command and control layer. Expansion is planned as each operator brings additional sites online.
Terra’s commercial division builds surveillance and deterrence systems for those sites using the same autonomous stack the company supplies to defense customers.
Nigeria’s Illegal Mining Problem
Illegal lithium mining is becoming a significant issue in Nigeria as the country tries to turn lithium into a strategic mineral and attract investment into battery-material processing.
The most concrete recent case is in Nasarawa State. In May 2026, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals arrested and arraigned 15 Chinese nationals and nine Nigerians over alleged illegal lithium mining in Kokona Local Government Area. Authorities alleged that the defendants were mining without lawful authority inside an area covered by an existing exploration licence.
About Terra Industries
Terra Industries is a multi-domain systems and data intelligence company building the defense prime for Africa and the Global South. The company serves critical sectors including energy, mineral resources, urban infrastructure, maritime assets, border security, and counterterrorism operations.
Founded in 2024, Terra develops integrated air, land, and maritime systems powered by ArtemisOS, its unified software platform for large-scale security operations. Terra’s mission is to give the Global South the technological edge needed to secure its future.
