Nigeria’s ambition to expand local defence production within a year is shaping discussions at the Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026 in Lagos, where Nigerian and Turkish industry representatives are examining opportunities for joint manufacturing, technology transfer and skills development.
Wednesday’s Strategic Conference programme connects equipment procurement with the industrial partnerships, engineering expertise and long-term support needed to strengthen domestic defence capability.
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), outlined the government’s production ambitions in a statement issued on Tuesday, 27 October.
Musa said
“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.”
The ambition provides the backdrop to “From Partnership to Production”, a dedicated Türkiye–Nigeria panel examining joint development, manufacturing and investment opportunities.
The published panel programme includes Proforce’s Ade Ogundeyin; Gökhan Uçar, Deputy Secretary at Türkiye’s Secretariat of Defence Industries; Bam Ibrahim Garba, Chief Executive Officer of DICON Grey Insignia; and Şevket Ünal, Vice President at HAVELSAN.
Moderated by Major General (retired) Anthony Mayowa Atolagbe, the session focuses on technology transfer, local industrial capability and government–industry partnerships that can support long-term defence requirements.
For Nigerian manufacturers and technology businesses, the discussions address opportunities to participate in defence supply chains, develop specialist expertise and support equipment throughout its operational life.
The programme also includes “Building Africa’s Defence Capability: From Procurement to Sovereignty”, which examines how acquisition decisions can strengthen national readiness while building sustainable domestic capability.
Speaking at Monday’s opening ceremony, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence and Chairman of the DICON Board, Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle, MON, emphasised the importance of developing the workforce required to sustain local manufacturing.
Matawalle said, “A good and trusted partner leaves behind the engineers and the technical crew that will continue to keep the production lines active.”
Major General Babatunde Ibrahim Alaya, Director General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), said the exhibition’s value would depend on the capabilities and industrial relationships it helped establish.
Alaya said
“Ultimately, AFRIDEX’s success will be measured not by exhibitors or visitors, but by lasting partnerships, investments, industrial projects and sustainable capabilities.”
Major General John Clark CBE, Commander of the Integrated Global Defence Network at the UK Ministry of Defence, reinforced the wider international cooperation agenda during his keynote on Tuesday, 27 October.
Clark said
“The UK will maintain strong bilateral and regional partnerships across Africa to respond to shared security challenges and support prosperity.”
His address, “From Partnership to Prosperity”, connected security cooperation with long-term stability and economic prosperity, highlighting regional coordination, information sharing and the ability of armed forces to operate together.
Sustaining capability after equipment enters service is another principal theme. “The Day After Delivery”, featuring Henry Fulbrook of Black Star Global and Colonel Dr Aminu Mohammed Shaibu, Director of Procurement at Ghana Armed Forces, examines the role of training, local support and long-term force planning.
Technical sessions address counter-drone readiness, including the selection of appropriate systems and their integration with training and operational doctrine. International industry participation also includes WB Group, alongside the exhibition’s wider focus on emerging technologies and operational capability.
Maritime discussions connect defence readiness with the protection of trade. The programme includes Vice Admiral Idi Abbas of the Nigerian Navy and Rear Admiral Manuel António Pereira Semedo of Cabo Verde in a session examining maritime threats, naval cooperation and critical sea routes.
Counter-terrorism discussions include Somalia’s Minister of Defence, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi Ahmed, and General Júlio dos Santos Jane of Mozambique, with a focus on evolving threats, intelligence sharing and regional coordination.
Further sessions examine strategic autonomy, drones, artificial intelligence and asymmetric warfare, alongside technical discussions on defence innovation, resilient infrastructure and multinational cyber exercises.
Organised by dmg events in partnership with DICON and backed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ministry of Defence, AFRIDEX brings together government, military and industry representatives across land, maritime, air, space and cyber capabilities.
