The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Turkish defence technology company, HAVELSAN, to strengthen defence cooperation and advance indigenous industrial capabilities.
This is contained in a statement issued by DICON’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Maria Sambo, on Thursday in Kaduna.
Sambo said the agreement was aimed at promoting knowledge exchange, technological advancement and the development of indigenous defence solutions in Nigeria.
She quoted the Director-General of DICON, Maj.-Gen. Babatunde Alaya, as describing the partnership as a significant milestone in the country’s drive towards defence industrialisation.
Alaya urged HAVELSAN to ensure the timely implementation of the agreement and translate its provisions into tangible technological capabilities to address Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges.
The statement also quoted the Vice President of HAVELSAN, Dr Sevkat Unal, as expressing optimism about the partnership, citing the company’s experience in international defence cooperation.
Unal described the Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026 as a valuable platform for identifying strategic collaboration opportunities.
He said HAVELSAN was committed to complementing, rather than competing with, indigenous manufacturers through capability integration and sustainable partnerships.
According to him, the collaboration could also create opportunities for broader defence industrial cooperation across Africa.
The statement said the MoU covered key areas of defence technology, including command and control systems, autonomous systems, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
It put the projected value of the venture at approximately $2.5 billion.
The agreement, according to DICON, reinforces the corporation’s commitment to strengthening indigenous defence production through strategic partnerships, technology transfer and sustainable industrial development.
