DEFENCE MINISTER LINKS ARMS SHORTAGE TO ISRAEL-IRAN, RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICTS
Read Time:3 Minute, 39 Second
By: Muftau Fatimo
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has said the ongoing conflicts involving Israel, Iran, the United States, Russia and Ukraine are creating growing difficulties for Nigeria and other nations in acquiring military equipment required to combat insecurity.
He also expressed concern over the lack of a comprehensive national database, describing it as a major obstacle to security operations, particularly for the police in tracking criminal activities and preventing crime.
Musa made the remarks on Saturday while delivering the keynote address at the Nigerian People’s Strategic Conference and Defence Exhibition 2026 held in Abuja.
Addressing the challenges facing Nigeria’s security framework, the minister noted that global tensions and ongoing wars have disrupted the supply of military hardware, underscoring the need for Nigeria to expand and strengthen its local defence manufacturing capacity.
With the war in Ukraine, Russia, Iran, the U.S. and Israel, it’s been extremely difficult getting equipment. Because most times they do down payment because they have the money and they produce most of these items. So even when you go to get, they have booked for them, and so it’s difficult.
“The only solution is for us to produce what we need,” he said.
He commended indigenous defence manufacturers and innovators, urging greater government support and patronage for locally produced military equipment.
The minister also appealed to the National Assembly to support the creation of a comprehensive database for Nigerians, describing it as critical to effective policing and national security.
“I want to also appeal to the National Assembly on the issue of a database. We must develop a database for every Nigerian in the world. There is a capacity to do that.
“It is only with that that it will make the job a lot easier for security forces. The Nigerian police is struggling because they don’t have a database to track and trace,” he said.
Musa, however, praised the police for their performance despite operational challenges
I commend them because I think they are performing magic. Some of the crimes they’re able to bring out, I can tell you it’s extremely difficult without a database,” he said.
The minister stressed that security agencies could not effectively combat crime without timely intelligence from citizens, warning against public indifference to criminal activities within communities.
“Security agencies are not magicians. If they don’t get the support and information at the right time, it becomes extremely difficult to curtail it,” he stated.
He cited incidents involving the vandalism of public infrastructure, including roads, rail facilities and solar-powered street lights, noting that such crimes often occurred because residents failed to report suspicious activities.
Musa also urged state governors to ensure that increased federal allocations translated into meaningful development at the grassroots, arguing that poverty, unemployment and illiteracy remained key drivers of insecurity.
“The tendency is now to throw everything at the federal. And I can tell you, Mr President is doing so well because if you look at the amount of money being released monthly to the governors, it is important for us to be able to make sure that these things get down to the people so that we can stop issues of poverty and illiteracy,” he said.
The minister further advocated the proper regulation of the Civilian Joint Task Force and other community-based security outfits, warning that arming unvetted groups could worsen insecurity.
Also speaking, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said the National Assembly would continue to support security agencies through legislation, oversight and funding.
He, however, stressed that military operations alone could not solve Nigeria’s security challenges.
The deputy speaker disclosed that local government reforms remained a priority in the ongoing constitutional amendment process and urged support for the State Police Bill, which recently passed the House of Representatives.
“On June 11, 2026, the House of Representatives recorded a major legislative breakthrough as the State Police Bill, which I sponsored, successfully passed through the chamber after years of debate and unsuccessful attempts by previous assemblies,” Kalu said.
He maintained that Nigeria’s heavily centralised policing system is no longer adequate for a country with a population exceeding 220 million.
Kalu also advocated increased private sector participation in addressing security concerns, stressing that businesses, technology companies and financial institutions have important roles to play in responding to evolving security threats.
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