Matawalle Leads Nigeria’s Delegation to Türkiye’s SAHA Expo, Seeks Defence Partnerships
Oru Leonard
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has led Nigeria’s delegation to the SAHA Expo 2026, a major global defence and aerospace exhibition held in Istanbul, Türkiye, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities through international partnerships.
The five-day event, which took place from May 5 to 9, attracted more than 1,700 companies, including 263 international firms, and over 30,000 industry professionals from more than 120 countries.
Matawalle and members of the Nigerian delegation participated in the official opening ceremony alongside Türkiye’s Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler, and other top government and industry officials.
Speaking at the event, SAHA Expo Chairman, Haluk Bayraktar, described the exhibition as “a meeting point for minds that will dominate technology.”
During the exhibition, the Nigerian delegation visited the stands of prospective defence partners, including the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), and engaged with leading global defence manufacturers and stakeholders.
The minister also held strategic discussions with Azerbaijan’s Minister of Defence Industry, Vugar Mustafayev, on areas of cooperation aimed at enhancing the operational effectiveness of Nigeria’s armed forces.
The meeting was attended by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal S.K. Aneke, and focused on strengthening collaboration between DICON and international defence firms to boost local defence production and technology transfer.
Matawalle said Nigeria was shifting its approach from transactional defence procurement to long-term strategic alliances.
“Nigeria is moving from buying and selling to building solid partnerships with reliable defence partners,” he said.
The Ministry of Defence said Nigeria’s participation at the expo underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising the nation’s defence architecture and deepening international cooperation in defence technology and industrial development.
