By Zainab Bakare
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd) has called on Nigerian innovators, startups, researchers, and technology entrepreneurs to channel their expertise toward developing indigenous solutions to the country’s evolving security challenges.
Speaking at the Omniverse Africa 3.0 Summit in Lagos, General Musa emphasised that addressing 21st-century security threats requires more than conventional military hardware, stressing the need for Nigeria to become a producer rather than a consumer of defence technology.
Delivering the keynote address titled “The 70/30 Rule: Why Nigeria’s Security and Innovation Agendas are the Same National Project,” the Defence Minister highlighted the critical role of innovation, industrial capability, and technological advancement in safeguarding national security.
“The future requires us to complement courage with technology, foresight, industrial capability, and innovation,” he said. “We must secure the nation today, but we must also build the capabilities that will secure the nation tomorrow.”
According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Defence, Leah Katung-Babatunde, General Musa disclose that the Ministry is undertaking major reforms in its operational doctrine, acquisition processes, and training programmes to prioritise emerging technologies.
The focus areas include unmanned systems and robotics, surveillance technologies, cybersecurity and resilience, secure communications, artificial intelligence governance, data-driven decision-making tools, and advanced domestic manufacturing.
The Minister linked the initiative to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on industrialisation, noting that ongoing reforms at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) are aimed at creating a robust ecosystem where defence investments stimulate economic growth, support high-tech job creation, strengthen university research, and open new commercial opportunities.
As part of efforts to deepen collaboration between the military and the technology sector, General Musa also launched the Defence Futures Lab Pathway, a side event convened by Kryterion.
He clarified that the initiative is not intended as a procurement platform but as a forum for capability development, strategic foresight, and innovation-driven partnerships.
“This is an opportunity to think ahead, organise better, and explore practical ways of strengthening the wider defence ecosystem,” he stated.
Participants at the roundtable agreed to reconvene in three months to evaluate progress, review initial technology concepts, and align future actions with the Federal Government’s indigenous defence strategy.
