Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, led the country’s delegation to the SAHA Expo 2026, a leading global defence and aerospace exhibition held in Istanbul, Türkiye, from May 5 to 9, 2026.
The five-day event brought together more than 1,700 companies, including 263 international firms, and attracted over 30,000 industry professionals from more than 120 countries, providing a platform for collaboration, innovation, and strategic engagement in the defence and aerospace sectors.
Dr. Matawalle joined dignitaries at the official opening ceremony, including Türkiye’s Minister of Industry and Technology, Mehmet Fatih Kacır, and Türkiye’s Minister of National Defence, Yaşar Güler.
The exhibition was formally inaugurated by SAHA Expo Chairman, Haluk Bayraktar, who described the event as “a meeting point for minds that will dominate technology.”
During the exhibition, the Nigerian delegation toured the stands of several prospective defence partners, including the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria, showcasing Nigeria’s growing commitment to strengthening indigenous defence production capabilities.
On the sidelines of the expo, Dr. Matawalle held a series of strategic engagements with key international stakeholders. Among them was a high-level meeting with Vugar Mustafayev, Minister of Defence Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The discussions, which were attended by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal S.K. Aneke, focused on enhancing the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria through strategic partnerships involving DICON and other global defence firms.
Speaking during the engagements, Dr. Matawalle emphasized Nigeria’s evolving approach to defence cooperation, stressing the importance of sustainable partnerships over conventional procurement arrangements.
“Nigeria is moving from buying and selling to building solid partnerships with reliable defence partners,” the minister stated.
The participation of Nigeria at SAHA Expo 2026 underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to modernizing the nation’s defence architecture, promoting local defence manufacturing, and fostering international collaborations aimed at strengthening national security and military readiness.
