Bem Ibrahim Garba, the managing director/chief executive officer of DICON GRAY INSIGNIA (DGI)
As Nigeria seeks to bolster its national security and reduce economic dependence, a new push is emerging to prioritise local defence contractors in procurement decisions, an area still heavily dominated by foreign players despite notable strides by indigenous firms.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, defence industry advocate Bem Ibrahim Garba decried what he described as “systemic bias” against Nigerian-owned defence companies. According to him, the preference for foreign contractors weakens local innovation and leads to capital flight, job losses, and long-term technological dependence.
“Nigeria cannot achieve true national security while outsourcing its defence backbone to foreign contractors,” Garba, the managing director of Dicon Grey Insignia, said. “We must back our innovators with contracts, partnerships, and belief.”
Despite their ability to produce tactical vehicles, protective gear, sensitive security systems, and training facilities, local defence companies face considerable obstacles. These include excessive scrutiny, limited engagement from security agencies, and the absence of real pilot opportunities to demonstrate their systems.
By contrast, foreign firms often enjoy easier access to decision-makers and are awarded high-value contracts with minimal hurdles.
A local defence entrepreneur, who spoke to BusinessDay on condition of anonymity, stated: “Our firms face social and political barriers that foreign players don’t encounter. We’re over-scrutinised, under-engaged, and rarely given the chance to prove our systems in real-world deployments.”
High cost of marginalising the indigenous industry
Garba’s statement identified several high-cost consequences of marginalising local industry. First, billions of naira are lost annually to foreign defence contracts—funds that could otherwise support domestic manufacturing, drive innovation, and generate tax revenue locally.
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He further stated that failure to invest in homegrown firms leads to job losses, especially among young Nigerians, by shifting employment opportunities to overseas factories.
The defence expert said relying on external suppliers for critical defence platforms undermines Nigeria’s capacity to develop or control its military technologies. Garba argued that supporting local companies would allow them to build partnerships with foreign technology leaders, enabling faster technology transfer and skill development.
Lastly, he warned that Nigeria’s defence products would continue to struggle in global markets without validation at home. “We can’t build technological sovereignty while importing our security systems,” he said.
Global lessons from Brazil and India
Brazil and India were able to transform their defence sectors through intentional local patronage. Brazil’s Embraer and IMBEL emerged as global players after years of government-backed contracts, even when their products were still maturing.
Similarly, India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative mandated local sourcing and empowered companies like Bharat Forge, TATA Advanced Systems, and Larsen & Toubro to scale and compete globally.
“These nations understood that mastery requires commitment. They invested in their own during the early, imperfect stages—and now they reap the benefits,” Garba noted.
As part of a broader policy reorientation, he proposed a five-point strategy to revive Nigeria’s defence industry. First, he called for a Local-First Procurement Policy that mandates a specific percentage of defence contracts be allocated to Nigerian companies.
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He also urged that government agencies move beyond pilot tests and place real, capacity-building orders with local firms. Furthermore, he proposed that all foreign companies be required to partner with Nigerian firms before securing defence deals, an approach modelled after policies in Dubai and other countries that prioritise knowledge transfer.
Garba recommended introducing end-user incentives to encourage security agencies to adopt made-in-Nigeria technologies. Finally, he advocated for the establishment of a Nigerian Defence Development Fund to provide long-term capital for research and development, infrastructure, and product certification.
He concluded with a firm appeal for a national mindset shift. “Local companies don’t need encouragement; they need opportunity. If Nigeria wants to become a continental power, that transformation must begin with trusting its own.”
His rallying cry, Buy Nigerian, trust Nigerian, defend Nigerian, captures the sentiment of a growing number of stakeholders who believe that a secure Nigeria must be built from within.
