He said the future of Nigeria’s defence and security capability would be built locally through indigenous innovation and strategic partnerships. “By localising production, it will open pathways for export and regional leadership in defence manufacturing. According to him, DICON was established to drive indigenous defence manufacturing, reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and position Nigeria as a credible producer of military and security equipment. The country imported over ₦5.06tn worth of armoured vehicles, compared to ₦1.81tn spent on petrol—a difference of ₦3.25tn, with armoured vehicles accounting for 35.87 per cent of total imports,” he said. Nigeria’s renewed push for indigenous defence manufacturing comes amid rising security challenges and growing concerns over the high cost and sustainability of importing military and security equipment.
