Nigeria's Deputy Speaker Kalu advocates local arms production to boost security

Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu is pushing for a significant overhaul of Nigeria's security strategy, advocating for the development of domestic arms manufacturing capabilities to lessen the country's dependence on imported weaponry. Speaking at the Nigeria People’s Strategic Conference and Defence Exhibition 2026 in Abuja, Kalu emphasized that Nigeria's complex security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping, demand a unified national approach. This approach must integrate government bodies, private enterprises, technology firms, civil society, and the financial sector.

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Every sector represented in this room must leave with a specific, measurable role in Nigeria’s security architecture. The defence industry must deepen local capacity so that we do not import what we can produce.

Kalu highlighted the risks associated with continuous reliance on foreign arms suppliers, stating it limits Nigeria's ability to respond effectively to evolving security threats. He called for a self-sufficient defense ecosystem that not only meets national security requirements but also generates employment and strengthens the country's strategic position. "The defence industry must deepen local capacity so that we do not import what we can produce," he stated, underscoring the importance of domestic production.

He urged various sectors to take specific roles: the technology sector to provide platforms for intelligence sharing and early warning systems; the financial sector to curb illicit financial flows fueling criminal networks; and civil society to foster community-government bridges for sustainable peace. Kalu assured that the legislature would provide the necessary legal framework, resources, and oversight to support these efforts, citing the House of Representatives' recent vote to support the State Police constitutional amendment as a concrete step.

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The technology sector must offer platforms for intelligence sharing and community early warning. The financial sector must tighten the chokepoints through which criminal and terrorist financing flows. The civil society must continue to build the bridges between communities and the government that make sustainable peace possible.

"At the legislature, we will continue to provide the legal scaffolding on which all of this is built," Kalu said. "We will legislate not for public applause but for the protection of lives and the dignity of every Nigerian."

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At the legislature, we will continue to provide the legal scaffolding on which all of this is built. We will continue to review the constitution where it needs reviewing. We will appropriate resources where resources are needed. We will provide oversight to ensure that what is promised is delivered. We will legislate not for public applause but for the protection of lives and the dignity of every Nigerian.