The Minister of Defence, Christopher Gwabin Musa, has called on Nigerian innovators, startups, and researchers to focus their expertise on developing indigenous technologies capable of addressing the country’s evolving security challenges.
Speaking at a Summit in Lagos on Thursday, the minister stressed that national security in the 21st century can no longer rely solely on conventional military hardware, urging the country to transition from being a consumer to a producer of defence technology.
Delivering a keynote address titled “The 70/30 Rule: Why Nigeria’s Security and Innovation Agendas are the Same National Project,” Musa said the future of national defence requires a combination of military courage, technological innovation, industrial capability, and strategic foresight.
“The future requires us to complement courage with technology, foresight, industrial capability, and innovation. We must secure the nation today, but we must also build the capabilities that will secure the nation tomorrow,” he said.
The minister revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently restructuring its doctrine, acquisition processes, and training systems to prioritise critical areas such as unmanned systems and robotics, surveillance technologies, cybersecurity, secure communications, artificial intelligence governance, data-driven decision-making tools, and advanced domestic manufacturing.
He noted that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly its focus on industrialisation and economic transformation.
According to Musa, ongoing reforms at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria are aimed at creating an ecosystem where defence investments stimulate economic growth, generate high-tech employment opportunities, strengthen university research, and open new commercial markets.
The minister also launched the Defence Futures Lab Pathway, a collaborative initiative convened by Kryterion to deepen engagement between the military and Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
He clarified that the platform was not intended as a procurement forum but rather a strategic space for capability development, innovation, and long-term planning.
“This is an opportunity to think ahead, organise better, and explore practical ways of strengthening the wider defence ecosystem,” he said.
Participants at the summit agreed to reconvene in three months to evaluate progress, review emerging technology concepts, and align future actions with the Federal Government’s indigenous defence and security strategy.
