Tinubu Urges African Countries To Strengthen Defence Partnerships

President Bola Tinubu has urged African countries to strengthen defence partnerships through technology transfer, local industrial development and sustained support for military operations.

Tinubu said defence agreements must deliver lasting benefits beyond equipment supplies, including skills development, knowledge transfer and the capacity to maintain military hardware locally.

The President spoke at the opening ceremony of the Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) 2026 in Lagos, according to a statement issued by Jackson Udom, Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Media.

Represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu said every major defence acquisition should strengthen local expertise and industrial capacity.

“Every major acquisition should help develop skills, transfer knowledge, strengthen local industry and deepen our capacity to maintain what we operate,” he said.

He stressed that the success of defence partnerships should be measured by the capabilities they leave behind, including stronger African engineering expertise, growing local enterprises and more effective institutions.

Tinubu also called for predictable funding, adequate equipment, rigorous training and sustained institutional support for African-led peace operations.

“Those we send to keep the peace must have the means to keep the peace,” he said.

The President noted that security threats across Africa, from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel, were becoming increasingly complex and interconnected, threatening lives, livelihoods, trade and development.

He said Nigeria understood the cost of insecurity, having confronted terrorism, insurgency, banditry, piracy and other transnational threats.

Tinubu commended the Armed Forces for their sacrifices and stressed the need to provide personnel with the equipment, training and support required to protect the country.

He added that lasting security depended on strong institutions, public trust, reliable partnerships and the industrial capacity to sustain defence operations.

The President further urged African countries to strengthen maritime cooperation, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, to protect trade, enhance energy security and combat criminal networks.

He also called for greater investment in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, space technologies and autonomous systems.

According to him, African countries must develop the expertise and institutions needed to use these technologies responsibly and create homegrown solutions.

“Our young people have the talent; our responsibility is to create the opportunity,” he said.

Tinubu described AFRIDEX 2026 as an opportunity to translate Africa’s potential into practical defence capabilities, urging participants to ensure that partnerships and commitments made at the exhibition deliver tangible results.

He said the ultimate objective was to build African countries capable of protecting their citizens, securing peace and creating the conditions for sustainable development.