Nigeria is stepping up efforts to strengthen its defence industry, with plans to establish local production lines for armoured vehicles, anti-drone systems and other specialised military equipment.
The initiative is being driven by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria-D7G in partnership with Eagles International for Defence Systems, with a focus on technology transfer, domestic manufacturing and reducing reliance on imported military hardware.
The Chief Executive Officer of DICON-D7G, Osman Chennar, disclosed this in a statement after a two-day inspection tour of factories and military production facilities in Cairo, Egypt, by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and his delegation.
Chennar said the partnership was expected to create more than 200 jobs and provide employment opportunities for about 100 retired military personnel.
He said the arrangement would facilitate the transfer of advanced defence technologies to Nigeria and enable the country to manufacture a wider range of military platforms for its armed forces and potentially other African countries.
The platforms targeted under the partnership include the Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle BR6, Armoured Personnel Carrier cabin, 120mm manual mortar launcher cabin, medical evacuation and ambulance cabins.
Others are the MRAP-Buffalo U.10 and M.12 armoured vehicles, MRAP-Buffalo F-4, Rhino Guard GXR anti-drone and RPG-protected vehicle, APC Moon PT6, GXR Phantom light vehicle and BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicle.
Chennar said the initiative formed part of a broader strategy to establish a sustainable Nigerian defence manufacturing ecosystem capable of designing, assembling and producing military equipment locally.
The development comes as the Nigerian Army continues to receive locally manufactured armoured vehicles as part of efforts to boost indigenous defence production and strengthen its operational capacity.
Beyond vehicle production, DICON-D7G is also planning a dedicated military jetty in Lagos to support the movement of raw materials, components and finished military equipment.
Chennar said the facility would serve as a strategic logistics hub for the supply and distribution of military equipment within Nigeria and across Africa.
He added that the military jetty was expected to be launched within the next two to three months.
According to him, the project would create jobs for more than 200 retired military personnel and over 1,000 civilians when it becomes operational.
The planned expansion of Nigeria’s defence manufacturing capacity is also expected to support the domestic economy by retaining more defence spending within the country, developing specialised technical skills and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.
DICON-D7G said the proposed production lines and facilities would help Nigeria sustain its armed forces with locally produced equipment during prolonged security operations while creating capacity to serve defence markets across Africa.
