Nigeria’s Defence Industry Emerges as Pride of Africa – DICON-D7G CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria-D7G (DICON-D7G), Mr Osman Chennar, has commended Nigeria’s defence manufacturing industry for what he described as another strong showing on the global stage at the 2026 El Alamein International Airshow in Egypt.

The El Alamein International Airshow 2026, held from September 8 to 10, brought together major players in the global aerospace and defence industry.

Chennar said DICON-D7G’s participation in the exhibition demonstrated Nigeria’s growing capacity and determination to build a robust indigenous defence manufacturing industry.

He noted that the 2026 event was the second edition of the international airshow, following its inaugural edition in 2024, which attracted more than 250 exhibitors from 50 countries.

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The maiden edition also featured more than 100 aircraft and attracted over 12,000 visitors, according to Chennar.

“DICON-D7G is a collaborative defence manufacturing partnership between the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria and D7G Limited, aimed at producing military hardware locally, reducing dependence on imports and strengthening national security,” he said.

Chennar said the partnership was positioning Nigeria to attain greater heights in defence manufacturing, while creating opportunities for the country to become a potential hub for the supply of military equipment to Nigeria and other African countries.

He said the development could further enhance Nigeria’s standing within Africa’s defence and security ecosystem and make the country a source of pride for the continent.

The DICON-D7G CEO also disclosed that arrangements were at an advanced stage for the provision of a military jetty in Lagos, which he said would further strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for indigenous military equipment supply and support its broader defence capabilities.

According to him, Nigeria’s participation in the El Alamein exhibition marked the third occasion the country had showcased its growing defence manufacturing capabilities at major international defence industry exhibitions.

“We were in Doha, Qatar; Ankara, Türkiye; and now Cairo, Egypt,” Chennar stated.

He described Nigeria’s increasing participation in international defence exhibitions as evidence of what he called steady progress in indigenous defence manufacturing.

Chennar said the growing international exposure would also help position Nigeria to play a more prominent role in Africa’s defence industry, while strengthening opportunities for partnerships, technology development and local production.

He said the country’s participation in such exhibitions underscored its ambition to move beyond dependence on imported military hardware and develop a stronger domestic defence manufacturing base.