Nigeria’s economy is increasingly defined by the twin pressures of growth and insecurity.
Defence and security remain central to national priorities, commanding one of the largest budget allocations in recent years.
In 2024, the Federal Government earmarked N3.85 trillion ($5.13 billion) for defence, nearly 13.4% of total spending and almost 38% higher than 2023.
And by 2025, it budgeted N4.91 trillion for defence and security. Yet despite the rising allocations, the country remains heavily reliant on foreign arms.
Official data shows Nigeria imported N26.95 billion worth of weapons in the first half of 2025 alone, more than double the N11.76 billion recorded in the same period of 2024.
Between 2022 and 2023, imports surged by over 400%, showing the gaps in local defence capacity.
Those gaps have created space for a growing class of Nigerian defence contractors.
Local firms are beginning to position themselves across the defence and security value chain, supplying products and services that range from protective equipment and training systems to surveillance technology and cybersecurity solutions.
As insecurity continues to shape political debate and economic outcomes, these contractors are emerging as increasingly consequential players seeking to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on foreign suppliers while competing for a share of one of the government’s most strategic spending priorities.
Bem Ibrahim Garba is a Nigerian maritime and defence industry executive. He is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of DICON Gray Insignia (DGI), a defence manufacturing and contracting firm involved in the production of small and light weapons for military, law-enforcement and paramilitary agencies in Nigeria and the region.
- Garba is also the founder and CEO of the GOG Group, a privately held group of companies with interests spanning shipping, marine logistics, defence contracting and consultancy. The group’s operating units include GOG Marine, GOG Tankers, GOG Express and Gray Insignia.
- In April 2024, Garba was elected Chairman of the Training and Capacity Building Committee of the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), where he works on workforce development and skills enhancement within the country’s maritime sector.
He has more than nine years of experience leading businesses operating at the intersection of maritime logistics, security services and defence manufacturing, with a focus on operations, risk management and strategic planning.
His work has included partnerships with public and private stakeholders across Nigeria’s shipping, oil and gas, and security ecosystems.
Garba holds an Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics from Copenhagen Business School and a Certificate in Shipping Business from Lloyd’s Maritime Academy. He is based in Lagos, Nigeria.
