Nigeria's Defence Minister Advocates for Indigenous Military Solutions

Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, declared that Nigeria has the engineering expertise and scientific talent to develop indigenous defence technologies, reducing Africa's reliance on foreign military equipment. He made this statement on Monday at the Africa International Defence Exhibition 2026, held at Eko Atlantic, Lagos.

Matawalle highlighted that Nigeria has the human resources necessary to create home-grown defence solutions to address security challenges. He emphasized that strategic investment in the domestic defence industry would enhance national security, promote technological self-reliance, and create industrial growth opportunities.

The exhibition is noted as a historic milestone, being the first of its kind since the establishment of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria in 1964. President Bola Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, opened the event, urging African nations to focus on local industrial development and technology transfer in defence partnerships.