Matawalle Leads Nigerian Delegation to Egypt, Seeks Defence Industrial Partnership

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has led a high level Nigerian defence delegation on a two day visit to key defence industry establishments in Egypt as part of efforts to deepen bilateral defence cooperation and strengthen Nigeria’s indigenous defence production capacity.

The visit focused on exploring sustainable industrial partnerships between Nigeria and Egypt, particularly in the areas of defence manufacturing, technology transfer, technical expertise and local production.

The delegation comprised representatives of the Ministry of Defence, Defence Headquarters, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Intelligence Agency and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).

On the first day, the delegation toured the manufacturing facilities of Eagle International for Defence Systems Company in Suez, where members examined various defence systems and equipment produced by the Egyptian company.

The tour also provided the Nigerian team with an opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of Egypt’s defence manufacturing processes and growing industrial capabilities.

Speaking during the visit, Matawalle said the engagement was strategic and developmental, rather than centred on immediate procurement of military equipment.

He explained that Nigeria was primarily interested in establishing a sustainable industrial partnership that would enable both countries, particularly through DICON, to collaborate in the joint production of selected military equipment and systems.

According to him, such cooperation would strengthen Nigeria’s indigenous production capacity, develop specialised technical skills, expand local content and facilitate the transfer of relevant defence technologies and industrial knowledge.

On the second day, the Nigerian delegation held high-level discussions with the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production in Cairo.

The talks focused on areas of mutual interest, including the possibility of establishing an ammunition production line in Nigeria through structured technical and industrial cooperation.

Both sides expressed interest in advancing the proposed partnership and working towards appropriate formal agreements that would provide a framework for its implementation.

The initiative is in line with Nigeria’s strategic objective of achieving greater self-reliance in critical defence production, reducing dependence on external sources and enhancing the capacity of the Armed Forces to sustainably meet their operational requirements.

Matawalle said the Federal Government remained committed to developing a modern and robust military-industrial complex capable of supporting national security while promoting indigenous innovation, technological development and economic opportunities.

He noted that the initiative was consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and its broader vision of strengthening Nigeria’s defence self-reliance and technological capacity.

The Ministry of Defence described the Egyptian visit as another important step towards translating Nigeria’s defence industrialisation vision into practical and sustainable partnerships.

It expressed appreciation to the Egyptian authorities for the warm reception and constructive engagements during the visit, while expressing confidence that the emerging areas of cooperation would deliver long-term strategic benefits to both countries.

The ministry said further engagements with relevant Egyptian defence institutions would continue towards developing concrete frameworks for technology and knowledge transfer, stronger bilateral defence relations and the emergence of a more self-reliant, resilient and technologically advanced Nigerian defence industry.