Global Conflicts Impeding Military Hardware Procurement, Says Defence Minister

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that ongoing global conflicts involving major powers like Israel, Iran, the United States, Russia, and Ukraine are severely limiting Nigeria’s ability to procure foreign military equipment to address its internal security challenges.

The minister also identified the absence of a comprehensive national database as a major bottleneck hindering domestic law enforcement agencies from effectively tracking down criminals and preventing crime.

Musa made these disclosures on Saturday while delivering his keynote address at the Nigerian People’s Strategic Conference and Defence Exhibition 2026 in Abuja.

According to the minister, international weapon supply chains have been heavily disrupted as warring nations and wealthy global actors secure priority manufacturing slots through significant down payments.

“With the war in Ukraine, Russia, Iran, the U.S., and Israel, it’s been extremely difficult getting equipment,” Musa explained. “Because most times they do down payment because they have the money and they produce most of these items. So even when you go to get, they have booked for them, and so it’s difficult. The only solution is for us to produce what we need.”

Musa commended indigenous defense manufacturers and innovators for their strides, advocating for enhanced government support and patronage of locally produced military hardware. He further called on the National Assembly to prioritize legislation for a unified national database, noting that the Nigeria Police Force is currently struggling to track suspects efficiently due to a lack of centralized data.

The defense minister emphasized that security forces require timely, localized intelligence from citizens to combat infrastructure vandalism and community-level crime. He also urged state governors to utilize their increased federal allocations to drive grassroots development, pointing out that poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy remain the core structural drivers of domestic insecurity.

He concluded by warning against the unregulated arming of unvetted community-based security outfits, stating it could aggravate existing security threats.

Also speaking at the exhibition, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, reaffirmed the legislature’s commitment to supporting security agencies through budgetary oversight and policy reforms.

Kalu disclosed that a constitutional amendment Bill seeking to establish State Police which he sponsored successfully passed through the House of Representatives on June 11, 2026, after decades of parliamentary debate.

He argued that Nigeria’s centralized policing model is no longer adequate to secure a population of over 220 million people, and called for heightened private sector investment in emerging security technologies.