Kalu Calls for Local Arms Production to Boost Nigeria's Security

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, is pushing for a big change in Nigeria’s security strategy. He wants the country to focus on making its own weapons and stop relying on imported arms.

Kalu also urged banks and financial institutions to do more to fight money laundering, terrorism financing, and other illegal money flows that support criminal activities in Nigeria.

He spoke at the Nigeria People’s Strategic Conference and Defence Exhibition 2026 in Abuja on Saturday. Kalu said Nigeria’s security problems need a united response from the government, private sector, tech companies, civil society, and financial institutions.

The conference, themed “Building a Modern Security Ecosystem: Integrating Private Sector Capacity into Nigeria’s National Security Architecture,” gathered people from the defence industry, banks, civil society groups, and security agencies.

With ongoing issues like terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and organized crime, Kalu said Nigeria must create a self-sufficient defence system. This system should meet the country's security needs while also providing jobs and reducing weaknesses.

Kalu believes that depending on foreign arms puts Nigeria at risk and limits its ability to handle new security challenges effectively.

A statement from the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabugiogwu, on Sunday quoted Kalu saying, “Every sector represented in this room must leave with a specific, measurable role in Nigeria’s security architecture. The defence industry must deepen local capacity so that we do not import what we can produce.

“The technology sector must offer platforms for intelligence sharing and community early warning. The financial sector must tighten the chokepoints through which criminal and terrorist financing flows. The civil society must continue to build the bridges between communities and the government that make sustainable peace possible.

“At the legislature, we will continue to provide the legal scaffolding on which all of this is built. We will continue to review the constitution where it needs reviewing. We will appropriate resources where resources are needed. We will provide oversight to ensure that what is promised is delivered. We will legislate not for public applause but for the protection of lives and the dignity of every Nigerian.”

Kalu mentioned that the National Assembly is already making moves to improve the country’s security setup. He pointed to the recent vote in the House of Representatives supporting the State Police constitutional amendment.

This proposal has sparked a lot of discussions nationwide. Supporters see it as a key step to decentralizing policing and improving local security.

“I am proud to serve in an assembly that just two days ago voted 289 to 2 in favour of a safer Nigeria. That near-unanimity was not partisan. It was patriotic. And it must be matched by an equal unity of purpose in this room today.

“There is a Nigeria on the other side of this season. That Nigeria is not a promise. It is a project. A project that belongs to all of us; both the legislature and the executive, the uniform and the suit, the community and the corporation, the government and the governed.

“We are a people worth fighting for. This republic is worth building. And let this moment be the moment we decide, formally and finally, to build it together,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker also dismissed claims that Nigeria is failing. He said that despite security and economic problems, the country has shown resilience.

“Nigeria is not failing. Nigeria is fighting. There is a difference. A failing country stops trying. Nigeria has never stopped trying. That is our heritage. That is our irreducible character. But resilience must be met by structure. Courage must be met by policy. The sacrifice of the Nigerian people deserves a security ecosystem worthy of the sacrifice,” he said.

Kalu’s comments come at a time when the Federal Government is looking for new ways to tackle insecurity. There are growing calls for better teamwork between security agencies, local communities, and the private sector.

The Deputy Speaker said building a modern security system needs clear responsibilities across sectors, stronger institutions, and a lasting political commitment to reforms that will protect lives and property throughout the country.