On September 20, 2026, during an official 3-day visit to Ostrava, which encompassed participation in the Czech Air Force Days and Defence Exhibition, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, formally requested the Czech Republic’s assistance in establishing an ammunition production line with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
Minister Matawalle articulated this request during a bilateral meeting with his Czech counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Jaromír Zuna. The meeting took place alongside the air show at Leoš Janáček Airport in Ostrava. The event, its 26th iteration, took place from September 19 to 20, 2026, attracting aviation assets and delegations from various NATO member states. According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence’s Chief Information Officer, Queeneth Iheoma-Hart, Minister Matawalle headed a delegation comprising senior officials from the Ministry, DICON, and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
The delegation inspected the exhibition floor, where Czech manufacturers showcased armored vehicles, air defense systems, and other defense material, before the two ministers deliberated on enhanced industrial cooperation. Minister Zuna informed the delegation that the Czech Republic is prepared to support DICON’s production objectives and facilitate the transfer of relevant manufacturing technology. He extended a welcome for the visit and expressed commitment to ongoing collaboration.
This request for an ammunition production line is directly aligned with Nigeria’s ongoing initiative to revitalize DICON, a state-owned arms manufacturer established in 1964, which has experienced prolonged periods of operational underutilization. A legislative act enacted in 2023, the DICON Act, gave the corporation broader authority to regulate the country’s defense-industrial sector and seek both domestic and foreign partners. Matawalle has cited the law repeatedly as the legal basis for channeling military procurement toward local manufacturing rather than imports.
The corporation supplied about 4 million rounds to the Nigerian Army in January 2024, after resuming ammunition production. By mid-2026, Matawalle set the corporation’s ambition at 300 million rounds a year, and a separate joint venture, DICON-D7G, has said it is targeting 60 million rounds annually while also assembling a licensed version of the Kalashnikov AK-103 rifle, designated the DG-103. Ahead of the Africa International Defence Exhibition set for October 26-29, 2026, in Lagos, DICON’s director-general, Major General Babatunde Ibrahim Alaya, said the corporation aims to add 30 million rounds of its own and to begin producing gunpowder domestically by August 2026 under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an international partner.
Beyond the ammunition line, Matawalle and Zuna also discussed technology transfer for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other military equipment, an area where DICON has limited existing capability. Czech industry has export experience in light aircraft, armored vehicles and small arms that could map onto Nigeria’s stated priorities.
The Czech trip is one stop in a pattern of outreach by Nigeria’s defense ministry this year. In mid-August 2026, Matawalle led a delegation to Egypt for a 2-day visit aimed at joint arms production and a similar push for a domestic ammunition line. On August 19, 2025, then-Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, hosted Czech Junior Deputy Minister of Defence Radka Konderlová in Abuja, a meeting that laid some of the groundwork for the current defense-industrial dialogue between the two countries.
Czech-Nigerian defense ties also run through aviation maintenance. Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody reactivated 3 Nigerian Air Force L-39ZA Albatross light attack and trainer jets in-country in 2019, and 2 more aircraft underwent life-extension work in December 2020, adding to the pool of airframes Nigeria can put into service. That history gives the relationship a practical base beyond the current round of talks, since Aero Vodochody already has technicians and parts experience specific to Nigeria’s existing fleet.
As part of the working visit, Matawalle scheduled to toured several Czech defense and security industrial complexes to examine manufacturing processes firsthand, the ministry said. For DICON, the appeal of a Czech partnership lies less in scale than in specialization. Czech firms are not among the world’s largest arms exporters, but they carry deep experience in light weapons, ammunition components and trainer aircraft.
The discussions coincided with the NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days, held at Leoš Janáček Ostrava Airport on September 19 and 20. The event brought together Czech and international military units and defense companies for static and flying demonstrations.
During the visit, Matawalle’s delegation inspected Czech aerospace and defense products including the Aero Vodochody L-39 Skyfox and the Aircraft Industries L-410NG, according to Voice of Nigeria.
The delegation also visited displays involving Colt CZ Group and MESIT, with discussions covering small arms, ammunition, tactical communications and other defense technologies. Matawalle subsequently met senior Czech military leaders, including Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Miroslav Hlaváč, Land Forces Commander Major General Josef Trojánek, and Air Force Commander Brigadier General Petr Tománek. Their current positions are independently confirmed by the Czech Ministry of Defence.
Those meetings covered training, maintenance and potential access to more advanced military systems, according to the Nigerian report. No procurement agreement emerged from the meetings.
Skyfox Interest Builds on a Long-Standing Aviation Relationship
The L-39 Skyfox appearance is particularly relevant because Nigeria already has a long-standing relationship with Aero Vodochody. The Nigerian Air Force has operated Czech-built L-39 aircraft since the 1980s. In 2020, Aero Vodochody worked with Nigerian Air Force engineers and technicians on the in-country reactivation and life-extension of L-39ZA aircraft at the 403 Flying Training School in Kano.
In November 2024, the Nigerian Air Force disclosed that Aero had submitted proposals covering reactivation, upgrades and eventually, the potential acquisition of the L-39 Next Generation. That aircraft has since adopted the commercial name L-39 Skyfox. Aero describes the current Skyfox as a subsonic jet trainer and tactical aircraft capable of advanced flight and tactical training, reconnaissance, air patrol and light-attack missions.
The dialogue continued in December 2025, when the Nigerian Air Force hosted a Czech delegation including Aero Vodochody. Discussions then covered the future of Nigeria’s L-39 fleet, the L-410NG, surveillance technologies, UAV solutions for border security and specialized training. The September 2026 inspection of the Skyfox and L-410NG therefore continues an existing series of discussions rather than marking the beginning of a new relationship.