By Peter Omopo
29th August 2025
The Defence Industries Association of Nigeria (DIAN) has called on the Federal Government and the Armed Forces to prioritise procurement of locally made military equipment as part of efforts to curb insecurity and strengthen national defence.
Secretary-General of the association, Kola Balogun, made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja during the African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit, where he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Balogun argued that sustained patronage of indigenous defence products would not only boost Nigeria’s security capacity but also generate employment, reduce youth restiveness, and cut off insurgent groups from recruiting idle young people.
“Patronage of locally made equipment will engage more citizens productively, reduce unemployment and deny insurgents the chance of luring them into negative ideologies,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria already has enabling policy frameworks such as the Local Content Act and Executive Order 5, but stressed that stronger commitment to their implementation was required to fully protect and promote indigenous capacity.
According to him, a stronger local defence industry would also foster regional security cooperation and lay the foundation for an African-wide military force equipped with African-made products.
“It should no longer be about only Nigerian forces but about African forces, harmonising our capabilities to ensure inter-country exchange of equipment and collective security across the continent,” he added.
Balogun said DIAN would continue working with government agencies to ensure standardisation and global best practices in locally produced defence equipment, while encouraging more Nigerian manufacturers to join the association.
“The more we encourage local capability, the more we reduce insecurity, strengthen our economy and secure our future,” he stated.
