The Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), is in Beijing leading a high-powered Nigerian delegation for strategic talks aimed at deepening Nigeria’s defence partnership with China.

The visit, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, is focused on technology transfer, joint production, and the modernization of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, AFN.

General Musa said the core objective of the engagements is to fast-track Nigeria’s drive for self-reliance in military hardware and to integrate emerging technologies and Artificial Intelligence into the country’s national security architecture.

“Nigeria is taking a proactive approach to ensure our Armed Forces remain ahead of modern security threats,” the Minister told Chinese defence and industrial officials during a series of high-level meetings in Beijing.

The delegation is holding critical diplomatic and industrial engagements with top Chinese defence manufacturers and government officials. Discussions are centered on expanding bilateral cooperation, strengthening DICON’s local manufacturing capacity, and securing access to advanced defence technology.

The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, DICON, is expected to be a major beneficiary of the partnership. The Ministry said the collaboration will help DICON scale up local production of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment, reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports.

The visit also seeks to consolidate existing Nigeria-China security cooperation in areas of counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and training.

General Musa’s delegation includes senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Service Headquarters, and DICON.

The Ministry noted that the outcome of the Beijing engagements will play a key role in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda to modernize the Armed Forces and grow Nigeria’s domestic defence industry.