# DICON partners with Eagle International for Defence Systems

- Link: https://www.military.africa/2026/08/dicon-partners-with-eagle-international-for-defence-systems/
- Published: 2026-08-27T14:55:05+01:00
- Author: Israel Chukwuma

A high-level Nigerian defence delegation, led by Minister of State for Defence, 
Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, concluded a two-day strategic visit to Egypt in mid-
August 2026 to advance joint arms production, technology transfer, and the establishment
of a [domestic](https://www.military.africa/2024/10/nigeria-advances-in-indigenous-weapons-systems-production/)
ammunition manufacturing line. The delegation included officials from the Ministry
of Defence, Defence Headquarters, the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, the Office
of the National Security Adviser, the Defence Intelligence Agency and a representative
of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), the country’s state-owned
arms manufacturer based in Kaduna.

On the first day, the group toured Eagle International for Defence Systems Company
in Suez, examining armoured vehicles and other equipment built there. Matawalle 
told reporters the trip was “strategic and developmental” rather than a [procurement](https://www.military.africa/2025/03/nigerian-army-looking-to-buy-egyptian-armoured-vehicles/)
exercise, and Nigeria’s defence ministry said the goal was “advancing sustainable
industrial cooperation rather than immediate equipment procurement”.

The second day moved to Cairo, where talks with Egypt’s Ministry of Military Production
centered on ammunition manufacturing, a capability Nigeria has struggled to build
at scale. Both governments said they want to draft formal agreements covering technology
transfer and joint production, though no contract has been signed yet, and officials
described the outcome as a framework for further talks rather than a finished deal.

On 16 August, the Chief Executive Officer, Osman Chennar, of [DICON-D7G](https://www.military.africa/2025/05/dicon-partners-d7g-to-ramp-up-arms-production/),
a joint venture with DICON, said the partnership with Eagles International for Defence
Systems already covers a list of platforms slated for local assembly. These include
the Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle BR6, an armoured personnel carrier (APC) cabin,
a 120mm mortar launcher cabin, medical evacuation and ambulance cabins, the MRAP-
Buffalo U.10 and M.12 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, the MRAP-Buffalo
F-4, the Rhino Guard GXR anti-drone and RPG-protected vehicle, the APC Moon PT6,
the GXR Phantom light vehicle and the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle.

Chennar said the arrangement should create jobs for more than 200 workers and open
roles for about 100 retired military personnel in its first phase, with the longer-
term aim of building enough capacity to export vehicles to other African militaries.
He also disclosed plans for a dedicated [military jetty in Lagos](https://www.military.africa/2026/04/dicon-d7g-to-launch-nigerias-first-military-jetty-in-lagos/),
meant to move raw materials, parts and finished equipment; DICON-D7G expects that
project to start within two to three months and, once running, to employ over 200
retired soldiers and more than 1,000 civilians.

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For a semi-technical audience, the platforms named are worth a closer look. MRAP
vehicles use a V-shaped hull to deflect blast energy from mines and roadside bombs,
a design Nigerian forces have needed against improvised explosive devices in the
northeast and the Niger Delta. Anti-drone systems like the Rhino Guard GXR pair 
armour protection with sensors and jammers meant to detect and disable small unmanned
aircraft, a threat that has grown as armed groups adopt commercial drones for surveillance
and attacks. An infantry fighting vehicle such as the BMP-2 carries troops under
armour while providing supporting cannon fire, sitting between a lightly armed personnel
carrier and a main battle tank in role.

DICON was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1964, but its output was limited for
decades. President Bola Tinubu [signed](https://www.military.africa/2023/11/nigeria-signs-dicon-bill-boosts-defence-industry/)
a new DICON Act in 2023 meant to modernize the corporation’s mandate and [funding](https://www.military.africa/2024/02/dicon-resumes-arms-production-after-billion-dollar-funding/),
and the agency has since struck a run of local partnerships, including a joint venture
with [Gray Insignia Nigeria](https://www.military.africa/2025/02/dicon-and-gray-insignia-to-supply-firearms-to-the-nigerian-army/),
focusing on military systems like sniper [rifles](https://www.military.africa/2025/11/nigerias-dicon-d7g-delivers-first-dg-103-rifle-batch-as-production-ramp-up/),
and a 2024 memorandum with [Buckler Land Systems](https://www.military.africa/2024/08/buckler-land-systems-signs-joint-arms-production-agreement-with-dicon/)
on hardware production. DICON’s established production lines include the [Ezugwu MRAP](https://www.military.africa/2019/09/defence-industries-corporation-of-nigeria-dicon-unveils-ezugwu-mrap/),
[OBJ-006](https://www.military.africa/2019/03/nigerian-made-weapons/) (AK-47 variant),
and FN FAL arms manufacturing.

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[Nigeria’s armed forces](https://www.military.africa/2020/07/nigerian-army-dicon-signs-agreement-to-develop-composite-armor-for-military-vehicles/)
face sustained pressure from insurgent and criminal violence across several regions,
and reliance on imported vehicles, ammunition and spare parts leaves procurement
exposed to currency swings, shipping delays and export restrictions from supplier
states. Egypt, for its part, has spent two decades building a domestic arms sector
through companies like Eagle International and has an interest in exporting both
hardware and manufacturing know-how to African partners. Standing up an ammunition
line requires machinery, quality control systems, and trained technicians that take
years to establish, and Nigeria’s past joint ventures in this space have moved slower
than initial announcements suggested.

Even so, the Cairo trip marks a step beyond earlier DICON partnerships in scope,
tying together vehicle assembly, munitions and logistics infrastructure under one
relationship. Nigerian officials say further engagements are planned to turn the
areas identified in Suez and Cairo into binding frameworks.

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