Nigeria has the engineering expertise and scientific talent to develop indigenous defence technologies and reduce Africa’s reliance on foreign military equipment, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has said.
Matawalle made the declaration on Monday at the opening of the Africa International Defence Exhibition 2026, held at Eko Atlantic, Lagos.
He said Nigeria had the human resources needed to develop home-grown defence solutions capable of addressing the country’s security challenges and the continent’s evolving military needs.
According to him, investing in the domestic defence industry would strengthen national security, promote technological self-reliance and create opportunities for industrial growth.
“By investing strategically in our domestic defence industry, we are strengthening national security, advancing technological self-reliance, creating opportunities for industrial growth and contributing meaningfully to collective efforts to build a safer, stronger and more secure Africa,” the minister said.
Matawalle’s remarks were contained in a statement issued on Monday by his media personal assistant, Ahmad Dan-Wudil.
The minister described AFRIDEX 2026 as a historic milestone for Nigeria’s defence sector, noting that it was the first exhibition of its kind since the establishment of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria in 1964.
He said the exhibition would provide a platform for showcasing local defence manufacturing capabilities, attracting foreign investment, facilitating technology transfer and strengthening partnerships between government and private-sector players.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the history of Nigeria and, in particular, the Ministry of Defence, as we host the first Africa International Defence Exhibition, spearheaded by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria,” he said.
Matawalle added that the event represented more than an exhibition, describing it as a demonstration of Nigeria’s determination to build a technologically advanced and self-reliant defence industry.
President Bola Tinubu, who was the special guest of honour, was represented at the ceremony by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who formally declared the exhibition open.
In his address, Tinubu urged African countries to ensure that defence partnerships delivered lasting benefits through local industrial development, technology transfer and capacity building.
He said defence agreements should go beyond the purchase of military equipment to include the development of local expertise, indigenous manufacturing and technical knowledge.
The President also challenged African engineers, scientists, manufacturers and businesses to take greater responsibility for developing, producing and maintaining the continent’s defence capabilities.
He called for stronger regional cooperation to protect the Gulf of Guinea, describing the maritime corridor as critical to international trade, energy security and economic development.
The Director-General of DICON, Major General IB Alaya, said AFRIDEX was designed to connect African defence stakeholders with international experts, strategic investors and global industrial partners.
“AFRIDEX is more than an exhibition; it is a strategic platform for translating ambition into action,” Alaya said.
He explained that the exhibition was intended to showcase defence technologies, attract investment, strengthen industrial partnerships and promote knowledge exchange across land, air, maritime, space and cyber operations.
Alaya said the success of the initiative would be measured by the investments attracted, partnerships established and sustainable industrial capabilities developed, rather than the number of exhibitors or visitors.
The exhibition featured Nigerian and international companies displaying armoured vehicles, tactical mobility equipment, battlefield communications systems and force protection technologies.
Other exhibits included naval and coastal surveillance systems, aviation platforms, unmanned aerial systems, satellite observation technologies and space-enabled communications.
The technologies highlighted the growing role of local innovation and international collaboration in developing defence systems capable of responding to modern security threats.
During business-to-business engagements, Matawalle met government officials, diplomatic representatives and defence industry stakeholders from Kenya, Türkiye and Qatar, among others.
Those involved included Kenya’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Isaac Keen Parashina; Gökhan Uçar of Türkiye’s Secretariat of Defence Industries; and representatives of Barzan Holding, Qatar.
The exhibition, hosted by DICON under the patronage of the Federal Government, is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s ambition to become a major centre for defence manufacturing, technological innovation and security cooperation in Africa.
Senior officials at the opening included the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, also attended the event, alongside diplomatic representatives, military officers and defence industry stakeholders.