The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has said Nigeria will commence large-scale local production of defence hardware within the next year to meet domestic needs and support exports to other African countries.
General Musa disclosed this at the Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026, a landmark initiative bringing together African governments, military institutions, global defence manufacturers and technology innovators to strengthen security cooperation and develop practical responses to security challenges.
He said AFRIDEX is aimed at connecting Africa’s security needs with the technology, expertise, investment and industrial capacity required to address them.
According to him, the exhibition, which covers land, air, maritime, space and cyber domains, creates opportunities to explore modern defence systems, exchange knowledge, establish partnerships and develop solutions that strengthen regional security.
“For Nigeria, we are building the capacity to produce more of what our Armed Forces need, reduce dependence on imported defence hardware and develop indigenous solutions to the threats confronting our nation. Through investment, technology transfer, research and collaboration with international manufacturers, we are advancing local production of military equipment, weapons, ammunition and other essential defence systems through the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON),” the Minister stated.
“Our goal is to expand indigenous manufacturing capacity and strengthen our ability to meet our own defence needs. Within the next year, Nigeria will commence large-scale local production of defence hardware to meet domestic requirements and support exports to other African countries. This is an important step towards building a self-reliant defence industry, strengthening our national security and positioning Nigeria as a contributor to Africa’s defence manufacturing capacity,” he wrote via his verified Facebook page..
