Writing By Teddy Daniel; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), has urged Nigerian innovators, startups, researchers and technology experts to channel their talents towards developing indigenous solutions to the country’s security challenges.
General Musa made the call while delivering the keynote address at the Omniverse Africa 3.0 Summit in Lagos, where he spoke on the theme, “The 70/30 Rule: Why Nigeria’s Security and Innovation Agendas are the Same National Project.”
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media Mrs Leah Katung-Babatunde, the Minister stressed that national security in the 21st century can no longer rely solely on conventional military hardware, noting that Nigeria must evolve from being a consumer of defence technology to becoming a producer of innovative security solutions.
According to him, the future of national defence requires a combination of courage, technology, foresight, industrial capability and innovation to effectively address emerging security threats.
The Minister disclosed that the Ministry of Defence is currently restructuring its doctrine, acquisition processes and training programmes to prioritise critical areas such as unmanned systems and robotics, surveillance technologies, cybersecurity, secure communications, artificial intelligence governance, data-driven decision-making tools and advanced domestic manufacturing.
General Musa also linked the initiative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on industrialisation, explaining that ongoing reforms at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) are aimed at creating an ecosystem where defence investments can stimulate economic growth, generate high-tech jobs, support university research and open new commercial opportunities.
As part of efforts to strengthen collaboration between the military and the technology sector, the Minister launched the Defence Futures Lab Pathway, a side event convened by Kryterion.
He clarified that the platform is not intended for procurement activities but serves as a forum for capability development, strategic foresight and the exploration of practical solutions for strengthening Nigeria’s wider defence ecosystem.
The summit ended with participants agreeing to reconvene in three months to review progress, assess initial technology concepts and align future actions with the Federal Government’s indigenous defence strategy.
Teddy Daniel
