Nigeria is positioning itself to become a major African hub for indigenous defence manufacturing, the Chief Executive Officer of DICON-D7G, Mr Osman Chennar, has said.
Chennar said the ambition was being driven by growing local production capacity and strategic partnerships aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported military hardware.
He made this known in a statement on Saturday following Nigeria’s participation in the 2026 El Alamein International Airshow in Egypt, held from September 8 to 10. He said DICON-D7G’s participation underscored Nigeria’s growing defence manufacturing capabilities and its determination to build a robust indigenous defence industry.
According to him, DICON-D7G, a collaborative defence manufacturing partnership between the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria and D7G Limited, is focused on producing military hardware locally, strengthening national security and positioning Nigeria as a potential supplier of defence equipment to other African countries.
Chennar also disclosed that arrangements were at an advanced stage for the provision of a military jetty in Lagos, which he said would further strengthen Nigeria’s military equipment supply capabilities.
He noted that the El Alamein exhibition marked the third major international defence exhibition at which Nigeria had showcased its growing manufacturing capacity, following earlier participation in Doha, Qatar, and Ankara, Türkiye.
He said Nigeria’s increasing presence at major international defence exhibitions was evidence of steady progress in indigenous defence manufacturing and would strengthen the country’s role in Africa’s defence and security ecosystem while creating opportunities for greater regional cooperation.
