Nigeria's Defence Ambitions Take Center Stage During Presidential Visit to Turkey
Nigeria's strategic push to establish itself as a continental defence manufacturing hub gained significant momentum during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's recent state visit to Ankara, Turkey. The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria–D7G (DICON-D7G) played a pivotal role in high-level diplomatic and technical engagements that showcased the nation's evolving defence-industrial capabilities.
Strategic Shift in Defence Policy Direction
In a comprehensive statement released on Wednesday, Osman Chennar, Chief Executive Officer of DICON-D7G, characterized the Ankara visit as a transformative moment in Nigeria's defence and industrial policy framework. Chennar emphasized that this represents a decisive departure from traditional reliance on foreign arms procurement toward a more sustainable model of local production, collaborative development, and structured technology transfer.
"This visit represents a clear policy direction by the Federal Government to transition Nigeria from a buyer of defence solutions to a producer and partner in global defence manufacturing," Chennar stated, highlighting the fundamental shift in strategic thinking.
Technical Demonstrations of Growing Capabilities
The Ankara discussions extended well beyond ceremonial diplomacy, providing DICON-D7G with a strategic platform to present Nigeria's expanding defence-industrial capacity to Turkish defence authorities, industry leaders, and policymakers. During intensive closed-door technical sessions and strategic briefings, the Nigerian delegation detailed capabilities across multiple domains:
- Small-arms production and ammunition assembly
- Armoured vehicle platform development
- Equipment maintenance, overhaul, and refurbishment
- Expanding research and development portfolio
The statement emphasized that "Nigeria is no longer starting from scratch" and that DICON-D7G is building upon existing institutional capacity while accelerating innovation, quality assurance, and industrial scaling.
Technology Transfer and Workforce Development Prioritized
Chennar engaged in extensive consultations with Nigeria's Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), officials from Turkey's Presidency of Defence Industries, and senior Nigerian military leaders including the Chief of Air Staff. These discussions centered on aligning Nigeria's defence-industrial ambitions with global best practices while ensuring that production capabilities, technical skills, and economic value remain firmly anchored within Nigeria.
"We are aligning Nigeria's defence-industrial ambitions with global best practices while ensuring that production, skills and value remain anchored in Nigeria," Chennar explained, stressing that technology transfer and workforce development constitute central pillars of the corporation's long-term strategy.
He further elaborated: "True security comes from knowledge, skills and the ability to sustain capability locally. That is the direction DICON-D7G is pursuing."
Defence Minister Emphasizes Strategic Necessity of Self-Reliance
Reaffirming the Federal Government's commitment to domestic defence production, Minister of Defence General Christopher Musa declared that indigenous capability has evolved from an optional consideration to a strategic necessity. "Nigeria's security environment demands self-reliance, speed and sustainability," Musa asserted. "Building and maintaining our own defence-industrial base is critical to meeting present and future challenges."
Partnership-Driven Approach Aligns with Economic Diplomacy
The statement noted that DICON-D7G's active participation in the Ankara engagements underscores a broader policy shift from transactional procurement to partnership-based collaboration. This approach emphasizes resilient supply chains, local value addition, and sustainable manufacturing—objectives that align closely with President Tinubu's economic diplomacy agenda.
A Turkish defence industry representative characterized Nigeria as "a serious partner with long-term industrial vision," while analysts pointed to Turkey's remarkable transformation from a defence importer to a major global exporter as a compelling reference model for Nigeria's aspirations.
As the presidential delegation concluded its engagements in Ankara, DICON-D7G emphasized that the visit sent a clear message: Nigeria's national security priorities are increasingly linked to industrial self-reliance, global partnerships, and the determined pursuit of sovereign defence capability.
