Nigeria to begin mass production of weapons within one year: defence minister

Nigeria will begin mass local production of military hardware within a year to meet domestic requirements and export equipment to other African countries, the Minister of Defence Christopher Musa has said.

Musa disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday following the maiden Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX), which brought together African governments, military institutions, defence manufacturers and technology innovators in Lagos, Nigeria.

He said the planned production would support Nigeria’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported military equipment and strengthen its domestic defence manufacturing capacity.

“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,” Mr Musa said.

‘Self-reliant defence industry’

“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.”

The initiative will see the government seek investment, technology transfer, research and collaboration with international manufacturers.

He said the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) was central to efforts to expand domestic manufacturing capacity and produce equipment required by the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Nigeria currently imports most of its military hardware from countries such as the US, France, Italy and China.

Deepen security relations

Musa said AFRIDEX would also provide opportunities for Nigeria to deepen bilateral and multilateral security relations, exchange expertise and establish partnerships aimed at addressing security challenges across the continent.

The exhibition covered land, air, maritime, space and cyber security, with a focus on connecting Africa’s security requirements with the technology, expertise, investment and industrial capacity needed to address them.

The minister thanked President Bola Tinubu for supporting indigenous defence production and initiatives aimed at strengthening national security.