By Nkechi Eze
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.), has challenged industry players, academic institutions and technology innovators to collaborate with the Federal Government and the Armed Forces to develop homegrown solutions that will strengthen Nigeria’s defence capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign military technologies.
Musa gave the charge while declaring open the maiden edition of the Defence Futures Summit 2026, themed “Sovereign Digital Backbone and Defence Innovation,” stressing that Nigeria must harness its intellectual capital, technological potential and industrial capacity to address emerging security challenges.
The minister said the summit was conceived following the Defence Roundtable held in June 2026, where stakeholders agreed on the need for Nigeria to shape the future of its defence capabilities rather than merely respond to the changing character of warfare.
He described the summit as a strategic platform for bringing together government institutions, the Armed Forces, industry, academia and technology innovators to develop practical solutions for the country’s security needs.
According to him, Nigeria could no longer afford to remain perpetually dependent on external sources for critical defence technologies, making investment in indigenous research and development, local innovation and the domestic defence industrial base imperative.
Musa said the country had the talent, creativity and determination required to achieve greater technological self-reliance, but stressed that success would depend on sustained commitment, a supportive innovation ecosystem and purposeful collaboration between the public and private sectors.
He noted that modern warfare was increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber capabilities, data-driven intelligence and advanced digital infrastructure, requiring Nigeria to expand its military preparedness beyond conventional hardware.
The minister urged stakeholders to develop partnerships that would translate Nigerian ingenuity into practical capabilities for the Armed Forces, emphasising that the summit should serve as more than a forum for speeches and presentations.
He said the objective was to transform ideas into solutions, partnerships into projects, and technological innovation into operational capabilities that could improve national security.
Musa expressed optimism that the Defence Futures Summit would evolve into an enduring platform for advancing defence innovation, strengthening technological sovereignty and positioning Nigeria as a significant contributor to Africa’s evolving defence technology landscape.
He commended Kryterion and the Defence Future Lab for laying the foundation for the initiative in collaboration with his office, while acknowledging the contributions of partners and participants whose efforts made the summit possible.
The minister called on participants to engage constructively, think boldly and pursue collaborations capable of delivering measurable benefits to national security.
He said strengthening indigenous defence capabilities remained essential to building a more self-reliant, resilient and technologically empowered defence sector, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
