Nigeria is taking bold steps to strengthen its defence resilience
and industrial capacity as the nature of warfare continues to shift into multi-domain,
technology-driven and hybrid forms of conflict.
Mr Frank Ohwofa, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Security Exhibition and Conference (NISECEXPO), stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the forthcoming 2025 NISECEXPO-DICON 2025.
The security conference and exhibition was being organised in collaboration with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
Ohwofa said the country must prepare for emerging threats defined by cyber operations, autonomous systems, information warfare and advanced weaponry.
He added that the theme of the conference: “Future Wars: Operational Resilience and Force Build-Up Capabilities”, reflects Nigeria’s urgent need to build a defence posture capable of withstanding shocks and adapting to evolving security dynamics.
He said modern conflicts are no longer fought only on land, sea and air, “but in the dangerous convergence of cyber space, information and robotics”, adding that nations now face hybrid attacks that combine physical violence with economic coercion and disinformation.
He explained that “for Nigeria and Africa, this is not theoretical. We are confronting insurgency, terrorism, maritime insecurity and proliferation of sophisticated weapons.
“Our resilience must cover cyber infrastructure, logistics, human capital and the information domain.”
The executive officer said NISECEXPO-DICON 2025 would serve as catalyst for strengthening Nigeria’s sovereign defence capabilities, with focus on industrial growth, technology integration and strategic partnerships.
Ohwofa urged the global defence community to come as partners, rather than vendors, saying Nigeria offers a dynamic market and a strategic gateway to the continent.
He urged the media to report issues critically and help to deepen public understanding of the evolving security environment.
In his remarks, the Director-General of DICON, Maj.-Gen. Babatunde Alaya, represented by the Director of Engineering Services, Commodore Adedotun Ogundiran, said the exhibition would showcase Nigeria’s expanding defence manufacturing capacity and provide platform for investment and technology transfer.
Alaya said the partnership between DICON and NISECEXPO aligns with the DICON Act, which empowers the corporation to regulate the defence industrial sector and drive sustainable research, development and production.
According to him, the 2025 edition will attract defence leaders, policymakers, industry players, researchers and innovators from within and outside Africa, with opportunities for business-to-business and government-to-industry engagements.
“The aim is to move Nigeria from assembly to innovation. We are positioning the country as a central hub for defence manufacturing and technology development in Africa”, he said.
In his remarks, the Lead Consultant for NISECEXPO, Retired Brig.-Gen. Martins Waboke, said the event would bring about paradigm shift in Nigeria’s defence capabilities.
He urged all segments of the society especially the private sector and the media, to support the drive to make Nigeria self-dependent in terms of defence equipment.
The event, scheduled to hold from Dec. 8 to Dec. 10 at the National Defence College, Abuja, will feature high-level dialogue, technical demonstrations, war-gaming sessions and exhibitions by global and indigenous companies. (NAN)