Turkish defence supplier Raff Military Textile has closed its participation in the first Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX), held at Eko Atlantic in Lagos, Nigeria, from 26 to 29 October 2026, after a series of meetings with defence industry leaders and senior military officers from across the continent.
The company’s Chairman, Eray Yükseloğlu, and its Commercial Director, Ceyhun Şahbaz, led the Raff delegation, which worked from the national pavilion of Türkiye’s Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB, Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı). “During our productive meetings, we shared our production vision for military and tactical equipment with our international business partners,” the company said. “Our operational processes continue at full speed for new projects and strong collaborations in the African market.”
Meetings at the Turkish Pavilion
AFRIDEX, organised by DMG Events and hosted by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) under the patronage of the Federal Government, brought government decision-makers, armed forces leaders and manufacturers to the Lagos waterfront for four days of exhibitions and talks. President Bola Tinubu used the opening to tell delegates that Africa must become more self-reliant in defence, and that foreign partnerships should leave lasting capability behind.
Raff’s meetings covered uniforms, tactical clothing and personal equipment for armed and security forces. In comments reported during the show by Apples Bite, Yükseloğlu described the company’s engagements in Nigeria as encouraging and said he saw “considerable potential for cooperation in Nigeria.” He added that sustainable growth depends on continuous engagement with local stakeholders and an understanding of local market demands, rather than on exhibitions alone.
The Turkish presence at AFRIDEX went beyond textiles. During the show, Ankara-based HAVELSAN signed a memorandum of understanding with DICON covering command and control, simulation, unmanned systems and cyber security, part of a wider push by Turkish firms into the Nigerian market.
From Istanbul Workshop to 45 African Markets
Raff traces its history to the 1940s, when the Istanbul family business began producing clothing and equipment for soldiers, police officers and firefighters. It turned to exports in 2000 and says it is now present in 45 African countries, from Mauritania to Madagascar, as Yükseloğlu told Anadolu Agency. Its range runs from combat uniforms and boots to tactical vests, backpacks and ghillie camouflage suits designed to reduce infrared signature.
The company says it also supplies weapons and ammunition to African forces. That side of the business rests largely on partnerships, including a strategic agreement with Turkish ammunition maker REPKON signed in 2025 to market ammunition and firearms on the continent.
According to the company, Raff designs its products for Africa’s range of climates, from arid Sahelian terrain to humid tropical zones, and offers region-specific production and logistics arrangements developed with local authorities and military institutions. Yükseloğlu has set out that approach in earlier Military Africa contributions, including on textile design for African climates and why cultural understanding matters in uniform design.
A Busy Year on the African Exhibition Circuit
AFRIDEX is the latest stop in an active African programme for the company. In 2025 Raff exhibited with the Turkish national pavilion at SYSDEF in Burkina Faso and joined a Turkish trade mission to Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. Its export drive follows the wider growth of Turkey’s defence industry footprint in Africa, where Turkish suppliers have built a presence that now extends from drones and armoured vehicles to the non-lethal equipment soldiers wear every day.
Turning Lagos Contacts into Nigerian Contracts
Raff did not announce any contract at AFRIDEX, and the company has not named the forces or officials it met. Its stated next step is to follow up the Lagos meetings with new projects in the African market. Nigeria offers one of the largest uniformed workforces on the continent across its armed forces, police and paramilitary services, and Abuja’s emphasis on local production gives foreign suppliers a reason to pair exports with in-country manufacturing or partnerships. How Raff responds to that push will decide whether the contacts made at Eko Atlantic turn into orders.
