By Nkechi Eze
The Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), OFR, has called on Nigerian innovators, startups, researchers, and technology firms to channel their expertise toward developing indigenous solutions to address the country’s evolving security challenges.
According to an official signed statement by Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Defence, Leah Katung-Babatunde, General Musa made the call while delivering the keynote address at the Omniverse Africa 3.0 Summit in Lagos.
Speaking on the theme, “The 70/30 Rule: Why Nigeria’s Security and Innovation Agendas are the Same National Project,” the Defence Minister emphasized that national security in the 21st century can no longer rely solely on conventional military hardware, stressing the need for Nigeria to transition from being a consumer of defence technology to becoming a producer.
“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,” General Musa stated.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Defence is currently restructuring its doctrine, acquisition processes, and training frameworks to prioritize critical areas such as unmanned systems and robotics, surveillance technologies, cybersecurity and resilience, secure communications, artificial intelligence governance, data-driven decision-making tools, and advanced domestic manufacturing capabilities.
General Musa linked the initiative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on industrialisation, noting that ongoing reforms at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) are aimed at creating a sustainable ecosystem where defence investments stimulate economic growth, support high-tech employment, strengthen university-based research, and open up new commercial opportunities.
The Minister also inaugurated the Defence Futures Lab Pathway, a strategic side event convened by Kryterion to deepen collaboration between the military and Nigeria’s technology ecosystem. He, however, clarified that the platform was not intended as a procurement forum but rather as a mechanism for capability development, innovation, and long-term strategic 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 roundtable session agreed to reconvene in three months to evaluate progress, review emerging technology concepts, and align proposed initiatives with the Federal Government’s indigenous defence production and security strategy.
The summit underscored the growing recognition of innovation and technology as critical pillars in strengthening Nigeria’s national security architecture and advancing self-reliance in defence capabilities.
