“Nigeria’s challenge is not capability, but the courage to reclaim its indigenous defense legacy” —Dr. Declan Onwudiwe
Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, manifested in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and rural violence, has exposed a troubling reality: Africa’s most populous nation remains heavily dependent on foreign arms for its security. Yet Nigeria once possessed extensive indigenous metallurgical and weapons-production capabilities. Reviving that capacity, under strict regulation and state oversight, may be one of the country’s most overlooked security options.
Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, manifested in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and rural violence, has exposed a troubling reality: Africa’s most populous nation remains heavily dependent on foreign arms for its security. Yet Nigeria once possessed extensive indigenous metallurgical and weapons-production capabilities. Reviving that capacity, under strict regulation and state oversight, may be one of the country’s most overlooked security options.
Recent government efforts to develop military-grade drones and to collaborate with young Nigerian engineers are commendable and represent strategic steps in the right direction. The Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) Act of 2023 further underscores ongoing efforts to localize the production of advanced military hardware. Partnerships with UNICCON, Briech UAS, and other indigenous firms demonstrate Nigeria’s growing commitment to domestic defense manufacturing.
These contemporary initiatives echo Nigeria’s long history of indigenous metallurgical innovation. From the ironworking traditions of the Nok civilization to the celebrated bronze and metal industries of Igbo-Ukwu, Benin, Oyo, and Kano, Nigerians developed sophisticated technologies long before colonial rule. Indigenous arms manufacturing was not confined to a single ethnic group. The Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Benin, and other peoples produced and adapted weapons for local defense and security. In many respects, local arms production is deeply embedded in Nigeria’s historical identity.
Across the country, communities once forged tools and weapons for defense. From Awka and Isunjaba in southeastern Nigeria to Benin, Ibadan, and Kano, blacksmith guilds sustained local economies and supplied communities with essential security tools. As a child, I witnessed village blacksmiths crafting Nkponala, a ceremonial weapon used in major cultural celebrations. These artisans also produced other implements, including short-range firearms and double-barreled shotguns. The ingenuity that sustained these technologies endures in many Nigerian communities. What is required is the political will to harness this indigenous knowledge responsibly and channel it toward national development and security.
Today, illegal gun manufacturers operate in the shadows while the Nigerian state struggles to adequately equip its security forces. The question, therefore, is not whether Nigerians can manufacture weapons; history has already answered that. The more pressing question is why the state has failed to regulate and lead this process effectively. Why do Nigeria’s porous borders continue to facilitate the influx of illicit arms? Why do criminal syndicates and violent groups continue to have access to weapons while lawful security institutions often face shortages? How many more lives must be lost before decisive action is taken?
The ongoing legislative efforts and the presidential endorsement of state police are highly commendable. However, decentralizing policing should be accompanied by a carefully designed framework that permits licensed local arms production under strict government supervision. Such a system would strengthen legitimate security structures while denying criminal elements exclusive access to locally manufactured weapons.
This is not an argument for the uncontrolled proliferation of arms. Rather, it is a call to reclaim an important historical tradition by establishing a robust regulatory regime that licenses manufacturers, monitors production, ensures traceability, and maintains industrial-scale production under state authority. The solution is not simply more guns in private hands; it is greater state capacity, stronger regulation, and enhanced security autonomy.
Nigeria has now enjoyed more than two decades of democratic governance following prolonged military rule from 1966 to 1999. By their nature, military governments centralized authority and viewed decentralized arms production as a potential threat to regime survival. Concerns about coups, rebellions, and internal dissent led to strict control over weapons and discouraged the development of independent industrial capacity. While such policies may have reflected the priorities of military rule, democratic administrations should not unquestioningly perpetuate the same security paradigm.
Indeed, the decline of indigenous metallurgical industries was not due to technological incapacity. Colonial rule disrupted local industries and redirected indigenous economies toward dependence on imported goods. This dependence was reinforced over decades of centralized military governance. As a result, Nigeria today faces a troubling paradox: widespread insecurity and the proliferation of illegal arms coexist with limited domestic production capacity under state control.
Beyond security considerations, reviving indigenous metallurgical industries could yield substantial economic benefits. A regulated domestic defense industry would create skilled jobs for engineers, metallurgists, machinists, and technicians, while revitalizing technical education and research institutions. It could reduce foreign-exchange outlays on imported military hardware and strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base. Countries such as India, Turkey, Brazil, and South Africa have shown that indigenous defense production can advance national security, technological innovation, and economic growth simultaneously. Nigeria should aspire to no less.
Revisiting local weapons manufacturing, therefore, should not be viewed as a radical departure from established policy. Rather, it should be understood as the strategic restoration of a lost national metallurgical capacity. Implemented within a rigorous regulatory framework, such an initiative could enhance security autonomy, stimulate economic development, promote technological innovation, and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
Ultimately, the challenge is not whether Nigeria can build its own defense industry; it has done so before. The real question is whether the nation has the political courage and strategic vision to reclaim this indigenous heritage and advance national security, technological progress, and sustainable development.
___
■ Ihekwoaba Declan Onwudiwe, Ph.D., of the School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University, is a Professor and Director, Africa Institute for Strategic Security Studies (AISSS). He is also on the EDITORIAL BOARD of the WAP
