PROFORCE AND THE FIGHT AGAINST INSECURITY: WHY NIGERIA MUST BACK INDIGENOUS DEFENCE MANUFACTURING
By De Accolade Magazine
Nigeria’s prolonged battle against terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime has demonstrated one fundamental reality that military strength is not determined only by the number of troops deployed, but also by the quality, availability and sustainability of the equipment placed in their hands.
Against this background, the emergence and expansion of indigenous defence manufacturers such as Proforce Nigeria represents an important development in Nigeria’s quest for greater defence self-reliance.
Proforce, established in 2008, is an indigenous defence manufacturing company specialised in manufacturing of armoured vehicles and security solutions.
Its portfolio also includes armoured vehicles, intelligence and surveillance solutions, tactical protection equipment, maritime platforms and air-security solutions.
The company employs indigenous technicians, welders and electricians and develops products for Nigerian and international clients.
For decades, Nigeria's security agencies have depended heavily on foreign suppliers for significant categories of military and security equipment. That dependence created challenges involving procurement timelines, foreign exchange, maintenance, spare parts and the ability to modify equipment quickly for Nigeria's unique operational environment.
A locally manufactured armoured vehicle, for example, can potentially be designed or adapted around the realities confronting Nigerian troops—from ambushes and improvised explosive devices to difficult terrain and long-distance patrol requirements.
Proforce's capabilities include the production of armoured personnel carriers, mine-resistant vehicles, patrol boats, ballistic protection and other security technologies.
Its wider group also includes intelligence, surveillance, maritime and air-system businesses.
This is significant because Nigeria's security challenges are no longer confined to one theatre or one type of threat. Counter-insurgency operations require a combination of protected mobility, surveillance, intelligence, communications, logistics and rapid response capabilities.
Federal Government should continue to recognise the strategic importance of domestic defence production.
In January 2026, the Ministry of Defence said it was supporting indigenous defence manufacturers, including Proforce, through measures such as facilitating end-user certificates and tax/customs processes associated with importing necessary raw materials.
During a visit to Proforce, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, also acknowledged the company's contribution to Nigeria's security architecture.
Similarly, the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, DICON, has been repositioned around the objective of reducing Nigeria's dependence on imported military hardware through partnerships with local and international companies like PROFORCE .
In November 2025, the Federal Ministry of Information reported that the Ministries of Defence and Steel Development signed an MoU involving Proforce for the production of military hardware at the Ajaokuta Steel Company. The initiative points to an important connection between defence manufacturing and Nigeria's broader industrial base.
The Nigerian Army , Navy and Airforce has also publicly called for stronger partnerships with indigenous defence companies. In August 2026, Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu said indigenous defence production could strengthen operational effectiveness, encourage local innovation, create skilled employment and conserve foreign exchange.
The efforts of supporting indigenous defence manufacturers should not be reduced to patriotism alone. It should be fundamentally an issue of national security, industrial capacity and strategic resilience.
Nigeria needs equipment that can be maintained locally, adapted locally and, where possible, produced locally.
Government support can therefore go beyond simply awarding procurement contracts.
It should include predictable procurement programmes, research and development partnerships, access to appropriate financing, technical certification, infrastructure, testing facilities, raw-material support and transparent procurement procedures.
The Federal Government should also encourage stronger links between indigenous manufacturers, universities, polytechnics, the Armed Forces, DICON and technology companies.
Such collaboration can help transform Nigerian defence manufacturing from a collection of individual companies into a broader defence-industrial ecosystem.
Quality must remain non-negotiable
However, supporting indigenous manufacturers must not mean lowering standards.
Military equipment is life-saving equipment. A vehicle, body armour system, communications platform or surveillance technology supplied to troops must meet clearly defined operational and safety requirements.
The Ministry of Defence itself has stressed the importance of product quality and integrity checks, particularly where equipment is produced for export.
No doubt that Nigerian products meet the required military standards and government should continue to invest in local manufacturers so that they can increasingly meet and exceed those standards.
This approach combines patriotism with professionalism.
Proforce as part of a bigger national strategy importancy should be placed within the wider Nigerian defence-industrial strategy. DICON remains central to the country's defence manufacturing architecture, while private-sector companies are increasingly becoming important partners.
Nigeria has already taken steps in this direction. In 2025, DICON announced a major partnership aimed at expanding domestic production of ammunition, weapons, drones, radars and other defence systems.
In March 2026, the Nigerian Army also inducted locally produced Vanquisher Light Armoured Personnel Carriers developed through collaboration involving DICON, Vanquish Industries and the Command Engineering Depot.
The direction is therefore clear: Nigeria is seeking to build greater capacity to produce the tools required for its own security.
There is another dimension that deserves attention.
A strong defence industry can generate skilled employment for engineers, welders, electricians, software developers, mechanics, technicians and researchers. It can stimulate demand for Nigerian steel, electronics, fabrication, automotive components and other industrial inputs.
It can also reduce pressure on foreign exchange.
The Nigerian House of Representatives, for example, called in July 2026 for a national drone industrialisation policy and structured financial support for indigenous drone manufacturers, including Proforce, through institutions such as the Bank of Industry and DICON.
That illustrates how defence production can evolve beyond military procurement into a national technology and industrial-development policy.
Nigeria's security challenges will not be solved by equipment alone. Effective intelligence, professional leadership, troop welfare, inter-agency cooperation, community engagement, training and sound strategy remain essential.
But properly equipped security personnel are better positioned to perform their duties.
For this reason, government should continue to develop a transparent and competitive framework that gives qualified Nigerian defence manufacturers opportunities to research, innovate, manufacture and supply equipment to the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
At the same time, manufacturers must be held to rigorous standards of quality, reliability, accountability and after-sales support.
The ultimate objective should not simply be to manufacture more equipment in Nigeria. It should be to build a Nigerian defence industry capable of designing, producing, maintaining and continuously improving the equipment required to protect the country.
For Proforce and other indigenous manufacturers, the challenge is to continue pushing the boundaries of technology and quality.
For government, the responsibility is to create the policy, financing, procurement and industrial environment in which such companies can grow.
And for Nigeria, the strategic benefit is clear: the more capable the country becomes at producing and sustaining its own defence equipment, the greater its resilience in confronting terrorism, insurgency and other security threats.
The fight for national security must therefore include another battle—the battle for Nigerian technological and defence-industrial self-reliance.
That is a battle Nigeria cannot afford to lose.
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