Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has led a Nigerian delegation to the Czech Republic to strengthen defence industrial cooperation and expand Nigeria’s domestic military production capacity.
During a three-day official visit, Matawalle attended the Czech Air Force Day, Air Show and Defence Exhibition in Ostrava, where modern defence equipment produced by the Czech defence industry was showcased.
The minister also held a bilateral meeting with Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Jaromír Zuna (Rtd), focusing on strengthening cooperation with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). Matawalle specifically sought Czech support for establishing an ammunition production line in Nigeria.
Discussions also covered technology transfer, particularly in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other military hardware. The Czech Defence Minister expressed readiness to support Nigeria in expanding DICON’s defence production capabilities, while Matawalle is expected to visit several defence and security industrial facilities during the trip.