By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
Nigeria’s efforts to reposition itself as a continental defence manufacturing hub drew international attention in Ankara, Turkey, during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent state visit, with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria–D7G (DICON-D7G) taking part in key diplomatic and technical engagements.
In a statement made available on Wednesday, the Chief Executive Officer of DICON-D7G, Mr. Osman Chennar, described the visit as a major milestone in Nigeria’s defence and industrial policy, signalling a shift from long-standing dependence on foreign arms procurement to indigenous production, co-development and structured technology transfer.
“This visit represents a clear policy direction by the Federal Government to transition Nigeria from a buyer of defence solutions to a producer and partner in global defence manufacturing,” Chennar said.
According to the statement, the Ankara engagements went beyond ceremonial diplomacy, providing a platform for DICON-D7G to present Nigeria’s growing defence-industrial capabilities to Turkish defence authorities, industry leaders and policymakers.
During a series of technical sessions and strategic briefings, the Nigerian delegation outlined capacities in small-arms production, ammunition assembly, armoured vehicle platforms, equipment maintenance, overhaul and refurbishment, as well as research and development.
“Nigeria is no longer starting from scratch. DICON-D7G is building on existing institutional capacity while accelerating innovation, quality assurance and industrial scale,” the statement noted.
Turkish defence executives from public and private institutions reportedly engaged Nigerian officials on production standards, scalability, sustainability, localisation and the importance of sovereign capability in modern defence planning.
Chennar was also said to have held consultations with the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), officials of Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries and senior Nigerian military leaders, including the Chief of Air Staff.
“We are aligning Nigeria’s defence-industrial ambitions with global best practices while ensuring that production, skills and value remain anchored in Nigeria,” he said, adding that technology transfer and workforce development remain central to the corporation’s strategy.
Reaffirming the Federal Government’s position, the Minister of Defence said strengthening domestic defence production had become a strategic necessity.
“Nigeria’s security environment demands self-reliance, speed and sustainability. Building and maintaining our own defence-industrial base is critical to meeting present and future challenges,” Musa stated.
The statement added that DICON-D7G’s participation reflects a broader policy shift from transactional procurement to partnership-driven collaboration, with emphasis on resilient supply chains, local value addition and sustainable manufacturing in line with President Tinubu’s economic diplomacy agenda.
Discussions during the visit reportedly extended beyond hardware acquisition to military doctrine, lifecycle support, training systems and responsible manufacturing practices, positioning defence as part of a wider industrial ecosystem.
A Turkish defence industry representative described Nigeria as “a serious partner with long-term industrial vision,” while analysts pointed to Turkey’s evolution from a defence importer to a major exporter as a model for Nigeria’s aspirations.
According to DICON-D7G, expected outcomes from the Ankara engagements include deeper local content development, stronger supply chains for the Armed Forces, enhanced technical capacity and greater retention of defence spending within the Nigerian economy.
As the visit concluded, the corporation said its participation underscored Nigeria’s growing focus on industrial self-reliance, global partnerships and the pursuit of sovereign defence capability.
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