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Nigeria and Türkiye have agreed to boost their defence-industrial cooperation to promote joint production, local manufacturing, technology transfer, research and development, maintenance, repair and overhaul.
The partnership, according to the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, has become necessary, as Nigeria is committed to building a strong, self-reliant and globally competitive defence industrial base capable of supporting national security and economic development.
The Minister made this known at the opening of the 7th Nigeria-Türkiye Defence Industry Business Forum held in Abuja.
Gen. Musa, while noting that Nigeria was committed to building a strong, self-reliant and globally competitive defence industrial base capable of supporting national security and economic development, said the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) Act 2023 provided an important framework for strengthening local production and encouraging private-sector participation.
He said Nigeria’s ambition goes beyond meeting immediate defence requirements to developing an industrial ecosystem capable of positioning the country as a competitive defence manufacturing hub in Africa.
He also said that such an ecosystem would create quality jobs, develop skilled professionals, strengthen domestic supply chains and promote innovation.
The Minister, who said the global security environment was becoming increasingly complex and technology-driven, citing the growing importance of unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and advanced communications, said Nigeria must develop the capacity not only to acquire such technologies but also to understand, adapt, manufacture, maintain and improve them.
He identified Türkiye’s transformation into a major and increasingly self-reliant defence industrial power as a model from which Nigeria could draw useful lessons, saying Türkiye’s experience demonstrated the importance of sustained government commitment, investment in research and development, innovation and strong private-sector participation.
The Minister, who described Türkiye as a strategic partner in Nigeria’s defence industrialisation journey, rather than merely a source of defence equipment, said the partnership could also create opportunities for both countries to serve the wider African defence market, given Nigeria’s strategic location, human capital and large domestic market.
He urged Nigerian and Turkish companies participating in the forum to move beyond general expressions of interest and develop concrete partnerships with clear objectives, timelines and measurable outcomes.
He also said Nigeria was open to credible strategic partnerships in joint ventures, co-production, technology licensing, local manufacturing, component production and defence supply-chain integration.
He said Nigeria was particularly interested in partnerships that would enable its personnel and industries to acquire the skills and technologies required to sustain and upgrade defence equipment throughout its lifecycle.
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He stressed that the success of the partnership should not be measured only by equipment deliveries but by the knowledge, skills and industrial capabilities transferred to Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, said the forum provided an opportunity for both countries to move beyond dialogue and explore practical opportunities for investment, local production and long-term industrial cooperation.
Matawalle said the DICON Act 2023 had created a framework for strengthening local production, private-sector participation and strategic partnerships.
He urged Nigerian and Turkish stakeholders to explore practical models for joint production, technology licensing, co-development and localisation.
The Director-General of DICON, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Alaya, also called for cooperation that would translate into actionable programmes, production lines, technology partnerships, maintenance capabilities and skills development.
Alaya said the ultimate objective was to build Nigeria’s defence production resilience and reduce vulnerability to disruptions in external supply chains.
In his remarks, Mr Gokman Ucar, Vice President, SSB Türkiye, and Head of the Turkish Defence Delegation, said the forum could mark a new chapter in Nigeria-Türkiye relations by bringing defence companies from both countries together.
Uçar said discussions would focus on defence industrialisation, joint production, technology transfer, localisation, regulatory and investment frameworks.
He said the forum would also provide opportunities for business-to-business engagements between Nigerian and Turkish companies based on their areas of interest.
The forum was held within the framework of the 7th Nigeria-Türkiye Defence Industries Cooperation Meeting and brought together government officials, defence institutions, investors and technology partners from both countries.
The participants are expected to explore partnerships capable of strengthening Nigeria’s indigenous defence industrial capacity while deepening bilateral economic and technological cooperation.
