Strengthening Collaboration In Advanced Aerospace Technologies For Enhanced National and Regional Security

Keynote Address By Governor Hope Uzodimma, CON,
At The Fourth Africa Air Forces Forum In Lagos, Nigeria.

On May 22-23, 2025.

PROTOCOLS

I am deeply honoured to be invited to deliver this keynote address at this high-profile gathering of professionals and aerospace technology experts. This forum is both timely and auspicious.

Let me begin by warmly welcoming all participants,
especially those who have travelled from across Africa and around the world to be part of this historic event. I also bring you the warm greetings of the people of Imo State, who, like many Africans, place great hope in the shared security vision that this forum embodies.

I sincerely commend the foresight and leadership of
Nigeria’s Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala
Abubakar DFS, and his African counterparts for putting this forum together. Your collective resolve inspires confidence in our defence capability as a region.

Airspace defines sovereignty. In today’s world, it also
shapes a nation’s survival. Across Africa, we are being
increasingly confronted by a complex web of transboundary threats, from terrorism and banditry to cyber incursions and resource-based conflicts. Borders or timelines do not confine these challenges. And as the threats evolve, so must our responses, not only in tactical precision but also in collaborative foresight.
We are reminded that airpower remains one of the most versatile tools of modern defence, offering speed, reach, deterrence, and intelligence superiority. However, although some African nations have built impressive capabilities, for example, Egypt has over 1,000 military aircraft, Algeria has 600-plus, and Nigeria maintains 163 aircraft, these numbers alone are insufficient. We need not only more aircraft but smarter integration of our air assets into a collective security architecture.

The Multinational Joint Task Force, which was created in response to the threat of Boko Haram, offers a case in point. Through such joint operations, we have achieved real gains in our efforts to secure our countries. We have neutralised terrorist strongholds, restored communities, and enabled safe resettlement. However, gaps remain in intelligence coordination, operational interoperability, and shared logistics. These must be addressed not in theory but through mechanisms we build together.

That task begins with a hard truth: Africa remains largely dependent on external suppliers for critical aerospace and defence needs. This reliance leaves us vulnerable to both market volatility and strategic manipulation. Yet across the continent, signs of transformation are emerging.

Nigeria’s Defence Industries Corporation is producing
small arms and experimenting with advanced platforms. Private firms like Proforce are manufacturing world-class Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, already deployed in Chad, Niger, and Rwanda. South Africa has doubled its defence exports since 2020, supplying Africa remains largely dependent on external suppliers for critical aerospace
and defence needs. This reliance leaves us vulnerable to both market volatility and strategic manipulation.
advanced systems and electronic warfare equipment.

Morocco has become a trusted aerospace manufacturing hub, producing for Airbus and other global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Egypt and Algeria maintain mature domestic defence industries, while Ethiopia and Zambia have made strides in self-sufficiency and technology integration.

Most notably, at least 35 indigenous drone models are in development or active service across Africa. Nigeria leads in this domain, with 28 drone systems operational or undergoing tests. This is a powerful signal that we are not passive consumers of security technology; we are increasingly becoming architects of our solutions.

But intention must now meet execution. We must
translate our shared aspirations into binding frameworks: mutual defence agreements, co-development pacts, pooled logistics platforms, shared research infrastructure, and joint training protocols. These are not luxuries. In the face
of 21st-century threats, they are necessary instruments of survival.

Increased defence spending ($25 billion in Algeria, $13.4billion in Morocco, $3.1 billion in Nigeria) shows that we are willing to invest. However, we must align these investments with coherent goals. For instance, technology transfer, indigenous innovation, and workforce development. South Africa and Morocco have shown how aerospace progress fuels economic growth and job creation. We must take a cue from these countries.

The leadership of the Nigerian Air Force has adopted a self- reliant approach, reactivating long-abandoned aircraft, deploying locally developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like the Tsaigumi, and incorporating academic research into mission planning and systems design. This shift is redefining the scope of African-led innovation in defence.

Distinguished participants, this forum must now bear a new doctrine: an African aerospace doctrine. One rooted in local capacity, governed by shared standards, and fuelled by political commitment. Our continent has the institutions. The African Union and regional economic

“We must translate our shared aspirations
into binding frameworks: mutual defence
agreements, co-development pacts, pooled
logistics platforms, shared research
infrastructure, and joint training
protocols. These are not luxuries. In the
face of 21st-century threats, they are
necessary instruments of survival.”

communities already provide frameworks for collective action. What is left is the courage to act, the will to fund, and the discipline to implement.
The era when air superiority was seen as a privilege is gone. Now, it is a requirement for sovereignty and peace. As we reflect, I urge this distinguished body to move from principles to policies. African skies must not remain exposed and unprotected, and African solutions can no longer wait.

Thank you, and may your deliberations advance the cause of peace, prosperity, and security across our beloved continent.

Sen. Hope Uzodimma, CON
Governor, Imo State of Nigeria.