Global conflicts hinder Nigeria's arms procurement, minister says

Nigeria's defense minister, Christopher Musa, highlighted the severe impact of global conflicts on the nation's ability to acquire military equipment. Speaking at the Nigerian People’s Strategic Conference and Defence Exhibition 2026 in Abuja, Musa stated that wars involving Israel, Iran, the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine have made it extremely difficult to obtain necessary hardware. He explained that down payments often secure available production, leaving countries like Nigeria struggling to procure essential items.

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With the war in Ukraine, Russia, Iran, the U.S. and Israel, it’s been extremely difficult getting equipment. Because most times they do down payment because they have the money and they produce most of these items. So even when you go to get, they have booked for them, and so it’s difficult.

Musa stressed that the only viable solution is to bolster local defense production. He commended indigenous manufacturers and innovators, urging increased government support and patronage for domestically produced military equipment. This focus on self-sufficiency aims to mitigate the risks associated with global supply chain disruptions and geopolitical instability.

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The only solution is for us to produce what we need.

Furthermore, the minister addressed the critical issue of a missing comprehensive national database. He appealed to the National Assembly to support its creation, emphasizing its importance for effective policing and national security. Musa noted that the Nigerian police are currently struggling to track criminals and prevent crimes due to this data deficit.

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I want to also appeal to the National Assembly on the issue of a database. We must develop a database for every Nigerian in the world. There is a capacity to do that.

Despite these challenges, Musa praised the police for their performance, calling their ability to solve crimes without a database "magic." He also urged citizens to be more proactive in reporting suspicious activities and vandalism of public infrastructure, stating that security agencies cannot combat crime effectively without timely intelligence and public support.

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It is only with that that it will make the job a lot easier for security forces. The Nigerian police is struggling because they don’t have a database to track and trace.