Odita Sunday 
Defence Minister Urges Africa to End Reliance on Foreign Military Powers
By Odita Sunday
Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd.), has urged African countries to strengthen indigenous defence production, deepen regional security cooperation and assert greater strategic autonomy in global security affairs.
Musa made the call during a strategic engagement with visiting African ministers of defence and chiefs of defence staff at the African Defence Exhibition and Conference (AFRIDEX 2026), which ended in Lagos.
The minister said Africa must move away from being a theatre of external geopolitical competition and become a self-reliant continent capable of influencing global security decisions.
According to a statement signed by Leah Katung-Babatunde, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Defence, Musa reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to continental solidarity, collective security and the accelerated development of indigenous defence capabilities.
He argued that growing geopolitical rivalry and external interference made it imperative for African countries to adopt a common position anchored on national sovereignty and strategic autonomy.
The minister stressed that defence partnerships must reflect priorities defined by African countries rather than perpetuate strategic dependence or undermine the sovereignty of states.
He also called for stronger African representation in global security decision-making, emphasising the central role of the African Union Peace and Security Architecture in coordinating continental responses to emerging threats.
Addressing security challenges across the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, Horn of Africa and parts of Central and Southern Africa, Musa warned that terrorism, violent extremism and organised crime could not be effectively tackled through fragmented national responses.
He advocated stronger cross-regional cooperation between member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), alongside diplomatic and peacebuilding efforts to address protracted conflicts in Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The minister further called for integrated governance approaches that tackle the underlying causes of instability while strengthening civilian protection across the continent.
On defence industrialisation, Musa identified Africa’s longstanding dependence on foreign military equipment, spare parts and technical support as a major vulnerability that could undermine the continent’s security preparedness.
He urged African nations to prioritise local defence manufacturing, technology transfer and joint maintenance ventures to reduce reliance on external suppliers and build sustainable military capabilities.
The minister also called for the transformation of the African Standby Force into a fully operational, responsive and strategically mobile force supported by sustainable financing.
He said stronger maritime domain awareness and coordinated naval exercises were equally necessary to protect strategic sea routes in the Gulf of Guinea and the Red Sea.
To ensure that the commitments made at AFRIDEX 2026 translate into tangible results, Musa proposed a structured follow-up mechanism involving participating defence institutions.
According to him, the mechanism would oversee joint training programmes, intelligence sharing and fusion, as well as defence industrial partnerships among African countries.
“Africa’s security future must ultimately be determined by the collective resolve, capabilities, and strategic choices of African nations. Nigeria stands ready to work shoulder-to-shoulder with all partners toward a secure, united, and self-reliant continent,” the minister said.
The meeting commended Nigeria for organising what the statement described as the first African Defence Exhibition, pledging support for the sustainability of the initiative as part of efforts to advance Africa’s security sovereignty.
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