Nigeria’s Defense Minister Christopher Musa has announced that his country plans to begin large-scale local production of weapons, ammunition and other defense hardware within the next year, in a bid to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and eventually export equipment across Africa.
Speaking at the maiden Africa International Defense Exhibition (AFRIDEX) in Lagos, Musa said the initiative would combine public investment, technology transfer, research and partnerships with international manufacturers, Premium Times reported on October 27.
“Within the next year, Nigeria will commence large-scale local production of defense hardware to meet domestic requirements and support exports to other African countries,” he added.
The minister described the plan as a step towards a self-reliant defense industry, stronger national security and a bigger Nigerian role in Africa’s defense manufacturing base, and expressed his country’s ambition to produce Nigerian-made tanks, armored personnel carriers and drones locally within a year, with eventual sales to other African countries.
Nigeria currently imports most of its military hardware from countries including the United States, France, Italy and China. The push for local manufacturing is intended to cut foreign-currency spending, shorten supply chains and give the military faster access to equipment suited to its operations.
According to the director-general of the Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Major General Babatunde Alaya, the agency aims to produce 30 million rounds of ammunition annually and begin domestic gunpowder production in 2026 under an agreement with international partner SPARTA.
DICON has also expanded cooperation with Nigerian firms such as Proforce, E-PILS, Vanquish and Imperial, which already make mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles and other personnel carriers. The DICON Act 2023 provides the legal framework for the corporation to regulate the sector, promote research and development, and work with local and foreign partners.
More than 66 countries took part in AFRIDEX, which organizers said was designed to connect Africa’s security needs with technology, investment and industrial capacity. The exhibition covered land, air, maritime, space and cyber-security domains, and ran from 26 to 29 October in Lagos.
Addressing the AFRIDEX, Minister of State for Defense Bello Matawalle said Nigeria now produces more than 50 million rounds of ammunition annually, against an estimated yearly requirement of more than 300 million rounds. He argued that investment in local defense manufacturing would strengthen national capabilities while supporting wider regional security.
Nigeria’s defense-industrial push comes as the country confronts insurgency, banditry, militancy and widespread kidnapping. Officials have long argued that domestic production could improve the military’s access to equipment and reduce vulnerability to delays in foreign procurement.
A recent Nigerian Army evaluation at Jaji Military Cantonment tested prototypes from indigenous manufacturers, including tactical shotgun platforms, target systems and counter-drone technology. Industry representatives said sustained field testing, operational feedback and transparent procurement would be essential to building a credible domestic defense sector.
