The Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX) opened at Eko Atlantic in Lagos on 26 October 2026 and runs until 29 October. Defence leaders, official delegations and international industry representatives are attending to discuss Africa’s security priorities and opportunities for cooperation.
The exhibition is organised by dmg events in partnership with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), and is backed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ministry of Defence. It covers land, maritime, air, space and cyber capabilities, and its exhibition and conference programme focuses on operational readiness, procurement and the development of local defence industries.
Guests at the opening ceremony included the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; General Birame Diop, President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission; Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State; General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), Nigeria’s Minister of Defence; Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle, Honourable Minister of State for Defence and Chairman of the DICON Board; and Major General Babatunde Ibrahim Alaya, Director General of DICON. After the ceremonial welcomes and senior-level addresses, VIPs and official delegations toured the exhibition and met participating companies to look at equipment, technologies and services relevant to their operational requirements.
Welcoming delegates on behalf of the Lagos State Government, Hamzat said: “Security is the first condition of any economy.” He encouraged participants “to use these four days to turn dialogue into partnership and leave African forces better equipped and our economy stronger.”
Musa said: “AFRIDEX started as a strategic vision, and I’m glad to see that today the ideas have come to fruition.” Addressing international industry, he added: “Nigeria has the population, has the landmass and has the reach, and Africa has the requirement for this. So anybody who invests in Nigeria is investing wisely.” Alaya described the exhibition as a platform for translating ambition into action.
Odiri Umusu, Portfolio Director for AFRIDEX, said the focus over the four days is on connecting security priorities with the capabilities, expertise and industrial partnerships that can help address them. For international companies, the organisers say the event offers a way to understand African defence requirements, engage with government and military decision-makers and explore partnerships with local manufacturers.
The Strategic Conference takes place on 27 and 28 October and will examine sovereign security capability, innovation and industrial growth. Topics across the wider programme include security in the Gulf of Guinea, local production, counter-uncrewed aircraft systems, maritime operations and space applications. AFRIDEX had confirmed on 7 October that Diop, a former Senegalese Minister of the Armed Forces, would join the exhibition.
