From DICON
AFRIDEX 2026 opens in Lagos
Senate President Godswill Akpabio represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the opening ceremony, which called for African defence equipment to be built, maintained and supported at home.
The first Africa International Defence Exhibition opened on Monday 26 October at Eko Atlantic, Lagos. The Guardian reported official representatives from over 50 countries, and AFRIDEX lists 14 international pavilions.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the opening ceremony. The President's message asked partners to look past one-off purchases: “Every major acquisition should help develop skills, transfer knowledge, strengthen local industry and deepen our capacity to maintain what we operate.” On troops sent on operations, it added: “Those we send to keep the peace must have the means to keep the peace.”
It also charged everyone at the show: “Let the partnerships formed here strengthen our readiness; let the knowledge exchanged here inspire our innovators; and let the commitments made here produce results our people can see.”
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, commended Nigeria's leadership on peace and security across Africa and, as The Guardian reported, said Africa's future security lies in its ability to design, develop and provide its own security solutions. The Minister of State for Defence and Chairman of the DICON Board, Dr Bello Matawalle, described AFRIDEX, PM News reported, as a platform for partnerships under the DICON Act 2023.
DICON's Director General, the Minister of Defence and the Deputy Governor of Lagos State also spoke; their remarks have their own updates on this page. The DICON Pavilion is open every day until Thursday 29 October.
