Nigeria has called on African countries to strengthen their defence capabilities, deepen regional security cooperation and assert greater influence in global security decisions, as the Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX 2026) ended in Lagos.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), made the call during a high-level strategic engagement with visiting African Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence Staff at the conclusion of the exhibition.
In a statement, the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde said: “the meeting focused on strengthening continental solidarity, developing collective security frameworks and expanding indigenous defence industrial capacity.”
Addressing the African military leaders and delegates, General Musa said” growing global geopolitical competition and external interference made it imperative for African countries to adopt a common position based on national sovereignty and strategic autonomy.”
He emphasised that international defence partnerships must align with priorities defined by African countries rather than create strategic dependence or undermine national sovereignty.
The Minister highlighted the importance of the African Union Peace and Security Architecture (AU-PSA), calling for stronger African representation in global security decision-making and improved coordination among continental, regional and national defence institutions.
Addressing security challenges across the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, Horn of Africa and parts of Central and Southern Africa, General Musa stressed that cross-border threats, including terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime, could not be effectively tackled through fragmented national responses.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to “strengthening cross-regional cooperation between member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).”
The Minister also highlighted Nigeria’s support for diplomatic and peacebuilding efforts to address prolonged conflicts in Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as integrated governance approaches to tackle the root causes of instability and protect civilians.
On defence industrial development, General Musa identified Africa’s dependence on foreign military equipment, spare parts and technical support as a major vulnerability.
He called for an accelerated transition towards local defence manufacturing, technology transfer and joint maintenance ventures to strengthen the continent’s capacity to meet its security needs.
To improve Africa’s collective response to security threats, the Minister stressed the need to make the African Standby Force (ASF) fully operational, with the capacity to respond effectively, deploy strategically and operate under sustainable financing arrangements.
He further advocated improved maritime domain awareness and coordinated naval exercises to protect strategic sea routes across the Gulf of Guinea and the Red Sea.
General Musa also proposed establishing a structured follow-up mechanism among participating defence institutions to coordinate joint military training, intelligence sharing and defence industrial partnerships.
He said “such a mechanism would ensure that discussions and agreements reached at the exhibition translated into practical, measurable outcomes.”
The participating African defence ministers and military chiefs congratulated Nigeria on hosting the inaugural AFRIDEX, pledging to sustain the platform as a means of advancing continental security cooperation and African defence sovereignty.
