AFRIDEX 2026: Nigeria Woos Global Defence Investors, Targets Local Production
Nigeria has invited global defence investors and technology innovators to explore partnerships in its defence sector as the country seeks to expand local manufacturing of military hardware for domestic use and export.
The call was made at the opening of the maiden Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX 2026) yesterday in Lagos.
In a statement issued by Queenet Iheoma-Hart, Chief Information Officer, Ministry of Defence.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said Nigeria was open to defence partnerships founded on mutual trust, respect and shared values.
He noted that security threats were becoming increasingly complex and interconnected, requiring stronger cooperation among African countries and global innovators in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
According to the President, African countries must remain abreast of developments in military equipment, personnel training and defence cooperation to strengthen their capacity to address emerging security challenges.
Tinubu said peace and stability were essential for economic opportunities, public confidence in institutions and sustainable development.
He urged participants to use the exhibition to exchange knowledge, hold bilateral meetings, sign memoranda of understanding and explore investment opportunities in Nigeria.
“Let the partnerships formed here strengthen our readiness. Let the knowledge exchanged here inspire our innovators. And let the commitments made here produce tangible results that our people can see and experience,” he said.
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Earlier, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), called on international participants to invest in Nigeria’s defence industry, disclosing that the country planned to commence massive local production of defence hardware within the next year.
Musa said the planned production would serve domestic security needs and create opportunities to export military equipment to other African countries.
He added that bilateral and multilateral engagements scheduled for the exhibition would strengthen relations among defence establishments, government representatives, industry stakeholders and strategic partners.
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammad Matawalle, described AFRIDEX as a platform capable of advancing the objectives for which it was established.
In their goodwill messages, Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the representative of the ECOWAS Commission, Birame Diop, expressed optimism that the exhibition would provide an inclusive platform for African countries to develop and revitalise their defence industries.
The Director-General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Major General B.I. Alaya, commended Tinubu for his support for the corporation and pledged to enhance its production capacity.
Following the opening ceremony, the Defence Minister inspected exhibition stands featuring participants from various countries and held an executive meeting with the United States delegation.
The exhibition, scheduled to run until October 30, has attracted dignitaries including the Chief of Defence Staff, serving and former service chiefs, the Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Defence and representatives from more than 20 African countries.
AFRIDEX 2026 is expected to provide a platform for defence manufacturers, technology firms, governments and security institutions to explore partnerships, showcase capabilities and discuss opportunities for strengthening defence cooperation across Africa.
By PRNigeria
