The Federal Government is actively modernising its armed forces in 2026 by combining international partnerships, technology transfer, and a robust push for local capacity to become a self-reliant producer of defence equipment.
The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, made this known during a working visit to Monaco alongside senior officials of the ministry.
This is contained in a statement by Mrs Enderline Chukwu, Deputy Director Information and Public Relations, on Wednesday in abuja.
Musa said the initiative was part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s defence architecture through the proposed Multi-domain Hybrid Intelligence Shield (HIS) project.
He noted that the ministry was engaging with MARSS UK Ltd and its Nigerian partner, MPS Mikopowers Ltd, to drive the project.
According to him, the visit focused on practical demonstrations, technical engagements and strategic discussions aimed at enhancing command, control, surveillance and integrated security capabilities.
“We must leverage technology for intelligence, surveillance and service delivery. We have partners and allies ready to support us, and we will continue to work with them as a team,” he said.
Musa emphasised the need to build indigenous operational capacity while leveraging international expertise to tackle emerging security challenges such as terrorism, border insecurity, illegal mining, piracy and threats posed by unmanned aerial systems.
The minister said the engagements also covered proposals for the establishment of national and regional command centres, mobile response units and a Centre of Excellence for simulation, training and doctrine development.
He added that the visit provided an opportunity to deepen discussions on defence industry collaboration, local production, technology integration and long-term partnerships with international stakeholders.
Musa noted that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s broader defence diplomacy efforts aimed at enhancing national security, improving inter-agency coordination and strengthening resilience in the face of evolving global threats.
The Nigerian delegation witnessed live demonstrations of advanced defence technologies, including radar detection systems, artificial intelligence-enabled threat identification and drone interception capabilities.
Other demonstrations featured integrated national command and control systems, mobile surveillance platforms and border security solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency.