Matawalle Leads Defence Delegation to Egypt, Eyes Joint Arms Production
Oru Leonard
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, MON, has led a high-level Nigerian defence delegation on a two-day visit to key defence industry establishments in Egypt, as part of efforts to deepen bilateral defence cooperation and strengthen Nigeria’s indigenous defence production capacity.
The visit, which took place in the Arab Republic of Egypt, focused on exploring sustainable industrial partnerships, technology transfer and opportunities for the joint manufacture of selected military equipment and systems.
The delegation comprised officials from the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Intelligence Agency and a representative of the Director-General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
On the first day, the delegation toured the manufacturing facilities of Eagle International for Defence Systems Company in Suez, where Nigerian officials examined various defence systems and equipment produced by the Egyptian company.
Speaking during the tour, Matawalle said the visit was strategic and developmental rather than focused on immediate procurement.
He said Nigeria was particularly interested in establishing sustainable industrial cooperation with Egypt through DICON, with the objective of jointly manufacturing selected military equipment and systems in Nigeria.
According to him, such collaboration would strengthen Nigeria’s indigenous production capacity, develop specialised technical expertise, expand local content and facilitate the transfer of relevant defence technologies and industrial knowledge.
On the second day, the delegation held high-level discussions with the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production in Cairo.
The talks centred on areas of mutual interest, particularly the possibility of establishing an ammunition production line in Nigeria through structured technical and industrial cooperation.
Both sides expressed interest in advancing the proposed collaboration and working towards formal agreements that would provide a framework for its implementation.
The initiative is in line with Nigeria’s strategic objective of achieving greater self-reliance in critical defence production, reducing dependence on external sources and strengthening the capacity of the Armed Forces to meet their equipment and operational requirements.
Matawalle has consistently advocated the development of a modern and robust military-industrial complex in Nigeria in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Federal Government’s defence industrialisation drive is expected to enhance national security and self-reliance while promoting indigenous innovation, technological development, job creation and broader economic opportunities.
The Ministry of Defence described the Egypt visit as another significant step towards translating the government’s defence industrialisation vision into practical and sustainable international partnerships.
It expressed appreciation to the Egyptian authorities for the warm reception and constructive engagements during the visit, saying the emerging areas of cooperation could deliver enduring strategic benefits to both countries.
The ministry said it would continue engagements with relevant Egyptian defence institutions towards developing concrete frameworks for technology and knowledge transfer, stronger bilateral defence relations and the establishment of a self-reliant and technologically advanced defence industrial base in Nigeria.
