Defence minister blames Israel-Iran, Russia-Ukraine wars for arms shortage

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has said the ongoing conflicts involving Israel, Iran, the United States, Russia and Ukraine are making it increasingly difficult for Nigeria and other countries to procure military equipment needed to tackle insecurity.

The minister also lamented the absence of a comprehensive national database, saying it was hindering the efforts of security agencies, particularly the police, in tracking criminals and preventing crimes.

Musa stated this on Saturday while delivering a keynote address at the Nigerian People’s Strategic Conference and Defence Exhibition 2026 in Abuja.

Speaking on challenges confronting the country’s security architecture, he said global conflicts had disrupted access to military hardware, making it imperative for Nigeria to strengthen local defence production.

“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.

“Two days ago, on June 11, 2026, a significant milestone was achieved in the House of Representatives. The State Police Bill, which I proudly sponsored, successfully passed through the House after decades of debate and repeated attempts by previous assemblies,” Kalu said.

Kalu argued that Nigeria’s highly centralised policing structure was no longer sufficient for a country with over 220 million people.

He also called for stronger private sector involvement in addressing security challenges, noting that businesses, technology firms and financial institutions had critical roles to play in tackling emerging threats.