The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle has sought stronger partnership with Egypt to boost Nigeria’s indigenous defence manufacturing capacity and advance the country’s drive towards greater self-reliance in the production of military equipment.
Matawalle made the push during a two-day high-level visit by a Nigerian defence delegation to key defence industry establishments in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The visit was aimed at deepening bilateral defence cooperation, exploring sustainable industrial partnerships and gaining technical and industrial knowledge that could support Nigeria’s long-term defence production objectives.
The delegation comprised representatives of the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Intelligence Agency and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria.
As part of the engagement, the Nigerian delegation toured the manufacturing facilities of Eagle International for Defence Systems Company in Suez, where members examined various defence systems and equipment manufactured by the Egyptian company.
The visit provided the delegation with an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into Egypt’s defence manufacturing capabilities, industrial processes and technological expertise.
Speaking during the tour, Matawalle said Nigeria’s interest was strategic and developmental, rather than focused on immediate procurement.
He said the country was seeking sustainable industrial cooperation that would enable Nigeria and Egypt, particularly through DICON, to collaborate in the joint manufacture of selected military equipment and systems.
According to him, such a partnership would strengthen Nigeria’s local production capacity, develop specialised technical expertise, expand local content and facilitate the transfer of relevant defence technologies and industrial knowledge to the country.
The delegation also held high-level discussions with the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production in Cairo, where both sides explored areas of mutual interest, particularly the possibility of establishing an ammunition production line in Nigeria through structured technical and industrial cooperation.
The two countries expressed strong interest in advancing the proposed collaboration and working towards formal agreements that would provide the framework for its implementation.
The proposed partnership is expected to support Nigeria’s strategic objective of reducing dependence on external sources for critical defence equipment while strengthening the capacity of the Armed Forces to sustainably meet their operational requirements.
The initiative also aligns with the Federal Government’s broader effort to develop a modern military-industrial complex capable of driving defence self-reliance, technological innovation, local content development and economic opportunities.
Matawalle’s engagement in Egypt is part of ongoing efforts to translate the defence industrialisation agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, into practical partnerships and increased domestic production.
The Ministry of Defence said continued engagements with Egyptian defence institutions would focus on developing concrete frameworks for technology and knowledge transfer, joint production and enhanced bilateral defence relations.
It expressed confidence that the emerging areas of cooperation would contribute significantly to building a more resilient, self-reliant and technologically advanced defence industrial base in Nigeria.
