President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu have called for stronger African defence capabilities through indigenous manufacturing, technology transfer and strategic partnerships to tackle the continent’s evolving security challenges.
Speaking at the opening of the maiden Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026 and unveiling of Nigeria’s first 3D-printed uncrewed surface vessel at Eko Atlantic, Lagos, on Monday, Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said threats that cross borders demand cooperation that crosses borders. He urged defence chiefs to ensure the exhibition yields joint training, intelligence sharing and stronger defence industries, and called for stronger maritime cooperation to secure the Gulf of Guinea, vital to Africa’s trade and energy security. Sanwo-Olu, represented by Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, described AFRIDEX as the first platform to bring land, air, sea, space and cyber defence under one roof, noting that security remains the first condition for economic prosperity.
Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), said the Tinubu administration is committed to modernising the Armed Forces through indigenous production and called for international partnerships to produce military hardware locally within the next year. Minister of State for Defence and DICON Board Chairman, Dr. Bello Matawalle, and DICON Director-General, Maj. Gen. B. I. Alaya, said the DICON Act 2023 provides the framework to reposition Nigeria’s military-industrial complex, attract investment and build sustainable indigenous capabilities across the continent.
