The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), has called on Nigerian innovators, startups, and researchers to develop homegrown technological solutions to address the nation’s evolving security challenges.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde and made available to Channel Network Afrique, CNA.
According to the statement, the Minister while speaking at the Omniverse Africa 3.0 Summit in Lagos, declared that 21st-century national security can no longer rely solely on conventional military hardware. Delivering a keynote address titled “The 70/30 Rule: Why Nigeria’s Security and Innovation Agendas are the Same National Project,” the Minister emphasized the urgent need for Nigeria to transition from a consumer to a producer of defence technology.“The future requires us to complement courage with technology, foresight, industrial capability, and innovation,” General Musa said. “We must secure the nation today, but we must also build the capabilities that will secure the nation tomorrow.”To support this transition, the Ministry of Defence is currently restructuring its doctrine, acquisition processes, and training frameworks. General Musa disclosed that the restructuring will prioritize key technological areas, including:Unmanned systems and roboticsSurveillance technologiesCybersecurity and resilienceSecure communicationsArtificial Intelligence (AI) governance and data-driven decision toolsAdvanced domestic manufacturingThe Minister linked this technological push to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for industrialisation. He highlighted ongoing reforms at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) aimed at creating an ecosystem where defence investments actively drive economic growth, high-tech job creation, university research, and new commercial markets.As part of the summit, General Musa launched the Defence Futures Lab Pathway, a side event convened by Kryterion to foster stronger collaboration between the military and the technology ecosystem. However, the Minister cautioned participants that the initiative is a platform for capability development and strategic foresight, rather than a procurement session.“This is an opportunity to think ahead, organise better, and explore practical ways of strengthening the wider defence ecosystem,” he stated.The roundtable concluded with an agreement to reconvene in three months to assess progress, review initial technology concepts, and further align actions with the Federal Government’s indigenous defence strategy.
