A delegation from Pakistan’s Global Industrial and Defence Solutions visited Nigeria’s Defence Industries Corporation in mid-September 2025 to lay groundwork for joint production of unmanned aerial vehicles, munitions, and missiles. Held at the Army War College in Abuja, the talks aligned with reforms under the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act 2023, which President Bola Tinubu signed into law in December 2023 to expand local manufacturing and curb import dependence. These efforts come as Nigeria confronts persistent insurgencies in the northeast and banditry in the northwest, where affordable, indigenous platforms could sustain operations without straining foreign exchange reserves.
Global Industrial and Defence Solutions, Pakistan’s premier state-owned defence firm, brings proven expertise to the table. Established as a conglomerate under the Ministry of Defence Production, it oversees divisions for air, land, and naval systems, with exports to more than 16 countries and ongoing dialogues in over 30 others. The firm pledged to navigate Nigeria’s regulatory landscape, easing bureaucratic hurdles that often delay foreign ventures. Major General Babatunde Ibrahim Alaya, DICON’s director general, endorsed the initiative, noting it supports the act’s mandate for a self-reliant military-industrial base tailored to the Nigerian Armed Forces’ requirements. Participants outlined a joint venture framework, emphasising technology transfer to build local skills in assembly and maintenance.
This DICON engagement capped a series of high-level exchanges. On the same trip, Asad Kamal, GIDS chief executive, met Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff at Air Headquarters in Abuja to discuss expanded cooperation. The session, held around September 18, 2025, explored procurement and training ties, building on broader Nigerian-Pakistani military links verified as of October 13, 2025. Pakistan’s Air Force and Nigeria’s have collaborated since the 1960s, training over 2,000 Nigerian personnel in recent years alone. Such partnerships yield tangible gains: Nigerian pilots gain exposure to advanced simulators, while Pakistan accesses West African operational insights from counter-terrorism campaigns.
Earlier overtures set the stage. In May 2024, GIDS and Nigeria’s Proforce Intelligence Systems Limited inked a memorandum of understanding at the Africa Air Force Forum in Lagos, committing to technology swaps and regional stability efforts. The pact covers intelligence-sharing tools and joint development of surveillance systems, addressing gaps in Nigeria’s real-time battlefield awareness. Proforce, a homegrown firm specialising in armoured vehicles, complements GIDS’s aviation focus, potentially yielding hybrid platforms for hybrid threats like armed convoys in the Sahel.
In 2021, the Nigerian military indicated interest in collaborating with the Pakistan Armed Forces (PAF) in the area of defence capabilities to further boost its operations. The former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, stated this when he hosted the Pakistan Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (PCJCSC), General Nadeem Raza, in Abuja. The CDS stated that the AFN under his watch would further strengthen the long-existing strategic partnership with its Pakistani counterpart on human capacity building, acquisition of military platforms, and modern communication gadgets.
GIDS showcased its capabilities months prior, in March 2024, with a live-fire demonstration of the Shahpar II Block II unmanned aerial vehicle near Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Delegates from Nigeria, Kenya, and nine other nations observed the medium-altitude, long-endurance drone strike stationary and mobile targets using Burq laser-guided missiles. The event targeted export markets, positioning the Shahpar II as a cost-effective alternative to pricier Western or Turkish rivals.
The Shahpar II measures eight meters long with a 9.45-meter wingspan and a maximum takeoff weight of 1,075 kilograms. It hauls 53 kilograms internally or 190 kilograms externally, ideal for electro-optical payloads or precision ordnance. Twin-rotary engines enable 20 hours of surveillance endurance at 23,000 feet or 12 hours in armed configuration, with a top speed of 220 kilometres per hour. Operators control it via line-of-sight or satellite links up to 250 kilometres, fusing infrared and daylight imagery for target designation. In Nigeria’s context, this persistence suits wide-area patrols over the Lake Chad Basin, where insurgents exploit vast terrains.
Paired with the Burq family of air-to-ground missiles, the system gains teeth. The Burq-45 variant weighs 45 kilograms, with a 10-kilogram high-explosive warhead and semi-active laser homing for ranges from 2.5 to 12 kilometres. Its 1.45-meter length fits drone bays, and a circular error probable under 1.5 meters ensures hits on vehicles or bunkers. The missile’s gimbaled seeker resists jamming, trading some speed for accuracy in cluttered environments. Heavier Burq-50P options extend to thermobaric warheads for fortified positions, broadening mission sets from reconnaissance to close air support.
These platforms address Nigeria’s operational shortfalls. The Nigerian Air Force fields a mix of legacy aircraft like Alpha Jets, L-39 Albatross, and newer JF-17s and Super Tucanos, which have carried out sorties against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.
Broader Nigerian reforms amplify these ties. The DICON Act empowers public-private ventures, as seen in August 2025 pacts with firms like D7G for infantry weapons and surveillance drones. Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar urged deeper Pakistan links in April 2025, citing shared counter-terrorism experiences. A June 2025 statement from his office affirmed progress toward hardware self-reliance, including ammunition plants via the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure. Pakistan’s April 2025 reaffirmation of military collaboration, including joint exercises, rounds out the package.
