Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has called for African countries to invest more heavily in domestically produced military equipment rather than relying on foreign suppliers. He made the call during a visit to the Rwanda Engineering and Manufacturing Corporation (REMCO) in Kigali on October 21, according to remarks reported from the visit.
REMCO, a government-owned company established in 2018 and based in the Kigali Special Economic Zone, operates across precision machining, metal casting and fabrication. It also manufactures weapons through a partnership with Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), an Israeli firearms manufacturer. The weapons produced include sniper rifles, assault rifles, machine guns and pistols, alongside military tanks. These have been deployed by the Rwanda Defence Force, the Israeli military and other countries.
Lt Gen Shaibu said African nations must prioritise research and development, build local expertise and form technological partnerships to create their own security solutions. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening Nigeria's domestic defence industry, pointing to the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). Local manufacturing enables militaries to maintain equipment more reliably, access spare parts more readily and sustain operations while cutting dependence on overseas suppliers.
The Nigerian Army said the engagement showed why African countries must develop their own technologies and manufacturing capacity as security threats shift and global defence supply chains face disruption. The visit underscored the potential for African cooperation in research, innovation and defence production to strengthen both continental security and industrial development across the region.
For Rwanda, local defence manufacturing capacity offers opportunities to develop industrial capabilities and potentially export products across the continent, though production costs and competition from established suppliers remain challenges.