Nigeria Moves to Boost Domestic Defence Manufacturing with Anti-Drone Systems and Armoured Vehicle Production

Nigeria is stepping up efforts to strengthen its domestic defence manufacturing capacity through new local production lines for armoured vehicles, anti-drone systems, and specialized military hardware. The initiative is led by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria–D7G (DICON-D7G) in partnership with Eagles International for Defence Systems. The collaboration aims to deepen technology transfer, boost domestic manufacturing, and minimize reliance on foreign military imports.

CEO of DICON-D7G, Osman Chennar, announced the project following a two-day inspection tour of military production facilities in Cairo, Egypt, alongside the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and a delegate team.

The manufacturing partnership will directly create over 200 jobs, alongside employment opportunities for roughly 100 retired military personnel. Production plans encompass Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicles (BR6), Armoured Personnel Carrier cabins, 120mm manual mortar launcher cabins, medical evacuation units, MRAP-Buffalo models, Rhino Guard GXR anti-drone and RPG-protected vehicles, and BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicles.

Additionally, DICON-D7G plans to launch a dedicated military jetty in Lagos within the next two to three months. The facility will act as a strategic logistics hub for raw materials and military hardware, while generating employment for over 200 military retirees and 1,000 civilians.

The partnership forms part of a broader strategy to establish an end-to-end defence manufacturing system in Nigeria. Beyond equipping the armed forces, the country aims to retain defence spending within its domestic economy and build export capacity to serve military markets across Africa.