Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.), has applauded the maiden Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026, taking place at Eko Atlantic in Lagos, from 26 to 29 October 2026, describing the four-day event which is centered on boosting local content, defense innovation, maritime and Gulf of Guinea security, counter-uncrewed aircraft systems, and strategic military partnerships, as highly impressive.
Gen. Musa who had an extensive tour of the exhibition pavilions, inspected various international and indigenous exhibition stands, including the Tantita booth and displays of advanced military weapons and security technologies, also led high-level meetings with delegations such as the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), alongside leaders from the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and representatives from over 20 African countries.
The Nigeria Defence Minister then announced that Nigeria plans to begin large-scale local production of defense equipment within the next year to fulfill domestic security needs and export to other African nations, even as he expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu , for his commitment to promoting indigenous production of defence equipment and advancing national security, noting that the President’s support for initiatives such as AFRIDEX reinforces Nigeria’s determination to build a defence industry that serves the Armed Forces, protects citizens and contributes to a more secure Nigeria and Africa.
General Christopher Musa summarized his very eventful visit and hugely successful tour of the AFRIDEX exhibition, on his verified social media handles thus:
Yesterday, I attended the maiden Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026, a landmark initiative bringing together African governments, military institutions, global defence manufacturers and technology innovators to strengthen security cooperation and develop practical responses to our security challenges.
AFRIDEX is aimed at connecting Africaās security needs with the technology, expertise, investment and industrial capacity required to address them. Covering land, air, maritime, space and cyber domains, the exhibition creates opportunities to explore modern defence systems, exchange knowledge, establish effective partnerships and develop solutions that strengthen regional security.
For Nigeria, we are building the capacity to produce more of what our Armed Forces need, reduce dependence on imported defence hardware and develop indigenous solutions to the threats confronting our nation. Through investment, technology transfer, research and collaboration with international manufacturers, we are advancing local production of military equipment, weapons, ammunition and other essential defence systems through the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). Our goal is to expand indigenous manufacturing capacity and strengthen our ability to meet our own defence needs.
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. This is an important step towards building a self-reliant defence industry, strengthening our national security and positioning Nigeria as a contributor to Africaās defence manufacturing capacity.
AFRIDEX also provides an opportunity to deepen bilateral and multilateral security relations, exchange expertise and build partnerships that will be convert into sustained security benefits for Nigeria and the wider African continent.
I thank His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu , for his commitment to promoting indigenous production of defence equipment and advancing national security. His support for initiatives such as AFRIDEX reinforces our determination to build a defence industry that serves our Armed Forces, protects our citizens and contributes to a more secure Nigeria and Africa.
October 26, 2026.
#GenCGMusa
#GCGM