By Zainab Bakare
Nigeria has taken a major step towards strengthening its defence capabilities following a high-level engagement with China aimed at boosting military modernisation, technology transfer and local defence production.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), led a senior Nigerian delegation to Beijing as part of efforts to deepen strategic defence cooperation and enhance the country’s military self-reliance.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the week-long visit focuses on expanding Nigeria’s defence manufacturing capacity, accelerating the modernisation of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and strengthening bilateral ties with China.
During meetings with Chinese defence officials and industry leaders, General Musa reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to adopting emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to address evolving security challenges.
He says the partnership would prioritise technology transfer, local production and capacity development through the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), with the goal of reducing dependence on foreign military hardware.
As part of the visit, the Nigerian delegation toured the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) Innovation Centre and the headquarters of China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO), where discussions centred on establishing joint defence production lines in Nigeria, expanding technical expertise and advancing indigenous military manufacturing.
At the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing, Ambassador Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.) described the visit as a significant milestone in Nigeria-China relations, expressing confidence that the renewed collaboration would strengthen both countries’ strategic partnership.
The Federal Government expects the engagement to yield lasting benefits in military modernisation, defence logistics, industrial development and national security, while advancing Nigeria’s goal of building a more self-reliant and technologically driven defence sector.
