Where will AFRIDEX be held?

The Africa International Defence Exhibition and Conference will take place in Lagos, NGA.

What is the primary focus of AFRIDEX?

AFRIDEX aims to address contemporary security challenges and explore advancements in defense technology and strategy within Africa, bringing together various stakeholders in the defense sector in Lagos.

Africa International Defence Exhibition and Conference (AFRIDEX)

Name: Africa International Defence Exhibition and Conference (AFRIDEX)
Start: 2026-10-26T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-10-29T00:00:00Z
Location: Lagos

Oct 26–29, 2026Lagos, NigeriaIn-person

Registration open

The Africa International Defence Exhibition and Conference (AFRIDEX) is set to convene in Lagos, NGA, offering a platform for discussions and exhibitions related to defense and security in Africa. This event aims to bring together stakeholders from across the continent and beyond to address contemporary security challenges and explore advancements in defense technology and strategy. The conference will feature a range of activities, including presentations, panel discussions, and exhibits from various defense industries. AFRIDEX is positioned as a significant gathering for military leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and researchers to foster collaboration and innovation in the defense sector. The event's focus on international participation underscores the interconnectedness of global security and the importance of shared solutions to regional and international threats.

Committees & topics

Topics
Multi-Domain Resilience in African Defence · Defence Industrial Capacity on the African Continent · Supply Chain Security for Defence Procurement · Sovereign Production and Strategic Autonomy · Strategic Stability in the African Security Environment · Geopolitical Adaptation and African Strategic Realignment · Human Capital in African Defence and Security · Training, Interoperability, and Operational Readiness

Why it matters

The security landscape in Africa is complex and dynamic, marked by various challenges ranging from terrorism and insurgency to maritime piracy and cross-border crime. Events like AFRIDEX provide a crucial forum for African nations to collectively address these threats, share best practices, and explore cooperative security frameworks. The conference's emphasis on international collaboration highlights the understanding that many of these challenges require global responses and partnerships.

Furthermore, AFRIDEX serves as a marketplace for defense technology and innovation. As African nations seek to modernize their armed forces and enhance their security capabilities, access to cutting-edge equipment and strategic insights becomes paramount. The exhibition component of AFRIDEX allows defense industries to showcase their latest products and solutions, potentially leading to new partnerships and investments that can bolster national and regional security efforts. This also offers an opportunity for African countries to reduce reliance on external powers by fostering indigenous defense capabilities.

The discussions held at AFRIDEX are likely to influence defense policies and procurement strategies across the continent. By bringing together key decision-makers, the conference facilitates dialogue on critical issues such as defense spending, technology transfer, and the ethical implications of new military technologies. These conversations are vital for ensuring that defense strategies are not only effective but also aligned with national development goals and international norms.

How to prepare

For delegates attending AFRIDEX, a thorough understanding of the current geopolitical landscape of Africa is essential. This includes familiarity with ongoing conflicts, regional security initiatives, and the specific defense needs of various African nations. Prior research into the participating countries and their defense priorities, as outlined in lessons like "Dynamic Analysis," can provide a strategic advantage in networking and discussions.

Engaging effectively at an international defense exhibition requires a nuanced approach to stakeholder engagement. Identifying key players, including government officials, military leaders, and industry representatives, and understanding their respective interests and influence is crucial. The principles of "What Is Stakeholder Mapping?" and "Engagement Strategies" can be particularly useful in preparing for interactions and maximizing the impact of participation.

Given the international nature of AFRIDEX, delegates should also be prepared to navigate diverse cultural contexts. Understanding "Gender Dynamics Across Cultures" and other cultural sensitivities can facilitate more productive and respectful interactions. Furthermore, considering the potential for "Hidden Stakeholders" and their influence on defense policies and procurement decisions can offer a more comprehensive perspective during the conference.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 6 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Nigeria

As the host nation, NGA is a central player in African security, facing significant internal and regional security challenges.

Role in topic

NGA will play a pivotal role in facilitating discussions on regional security, showcasing its defense capabilities, and seeking partnerships to address its diverse security threats, including insurgency and maritime security.

South Africa

ZAF is a significant defense industry player in Africa with advanced manufacturing capabilities and a history of regional security contributions.

Role in topic

ZAF is likely to present its defense industry innovations, participate in discussions on regional stability, and explore opportunities for defense exports and collaborations with other African nations.

Egypt

EGY possesses one of the most capable militaries in Africa and has growing defense industrial capabilities.

Role in topic

EGY will likely contribute to discussions on counter-terrorism and border security, potentially showcasing its military modernization efforts and seeking strategic partnerships for defense technology.

United States

The USA is a major global defense exporter and strategic partner to many African nations, providing military aid and training.

Role in topic

The USA will likely engage with African partners on security cooperation initiatives, offer defense technologies, and participate in dialogues concerning regional stability and counter-terrorism efforts.

China

CHN is an increasingly influential defense supplier and investor in Africa, offering a range of military equipment and infrastructure development.

Role in topic

CHN will likely showcase its defense products, engage in discussions on military-technical cooperation, and seek to expand its influence and partnerships within the African defense sector.

Russia

RUS is a traditional and significant supplier of military equipment and training to several African countries.

Role in topic

RUS will likely present its defense industry offerings, engage with existing and potential clients, and participate in discussions on security cooperation and military assistance to African nations.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Multi-Domain Resilience in African Defence

Multi-domain resilience refers to the capacity of a state's defence and security apparatus to absorb, adapt to, and recover from threats spanning land, sea, air, cyber, and space simultaneously. For African states, the concept gained urgency after a decade of compounding shocks: jihadist insurgencies across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, maritime piracy and illicit trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea, cyber intrusions targeting government ministries and financial systems, and the cascading effects of the 2020 pandemic on military readiness. The African Union's Agenda 2063 and the 2013 Silencing the Guns initiative implicitly recognised that conventional, single-service postures could not address hybrid threats. The debate today centres on how African militaries and security institutions can integrate domains that have historically been siloed, often with limited budgets and external dependencies for ISR, satellite communications, and cyber defence. Recent withdrawals of French and UN forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and the DRC have accelerated calls for indigenous, cross-domain capabilities. States are experimenting with joint command structures, regional cyber response teams under ECOWAS and SADC, and dual-use space programmes, while wrestling with interoperability gaps and the risk of dependence on foreign turnkey systems.

Key players

Defence Industrial Capacity on the African Continent

Africa has historically been a net importer of defence equipment, accounting for a small share of global arms production despite significant demand. SIPRI data consistently shows that more than 95% of major weapons imported by sub-Saharan African states originate from Russia, China, France, the United States, and increasingly Turkey and the UAE. This dependency has constrained strategic autonomy, exposed states to sanctions risk, and limited the developmental spillovers that domestic industry can generate. A renewed push for defence industrial capacity has emerged over the past decade. South Africa's Denel, Egypt's Arab Organization for Industrialization, Nigeria's DICON, Algeria's state-owned plants, and Morocco's nascent defence cluster around Casablanca and Berrechid represent varying models of state-led production. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has opened theoretical space for cross-border defence industrial collaboration, though export controls, end-user agreements, and divergent procurement standards remain obstacles. The current debate weighs the costs of indigenous production against off-the-shelf imports, and whether co-production and technology transfer arrangements with foreign primes meaningfully build sovereign capability.

Key players

Supply Chain Security for Defence Procurement

Defence supply chains have moved to the centre of strategic planning since the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine exposed fragilities in semiconductors, propellants, rare earths, and munitions components. For African importers, these shocks translated into delayed deliveries, price inflation, and uncertainty over spare parts for fleets sourced from Russia, Europe, and Asia. Sanctions regimes targeting Russian exporters have further complicated maintenance cycles for legacy Soviet-era platforms still operated across the continent. The contemporary supply chain security debate spans several layers: securing critical mineral inputs (cobalt, lithium, tantalum, manganese) that Africa itself supplies to global defence primes; protecting logistics nodes such as ports and overland corridors against sabotage and corruption; and managing cyber risks embedded in foreign-sourced electronics and software. States are diversifying suppliers, accumulating strategic stockpiles, and exploring regional MRO hubs, while AU and regional bodies discuss frameworks to prevent illicit diversion and ensure traceability under the Arms Trade Treaty.

Key players

Sovereign Production and Strategic Autonomy

Sovereign production — the capacity of a state to design, manufacture, and sustain defence equipment domestically — has become a benchmark of strategic autonomy in an era of contested globalisation. African aspirations toward sovereign production trace back to post-independence import-substitution efforts in the 1960s and 70s, most successfully institutionalised in apartheid-era South Africa under arms embargoes and in Egypt's Nasser-era industrial drive. Most other initiatives stalled due to financing, scale, and technological constraints. The current revival is driven by frustration with conditional foreign sales, sanctions exposure, and the political signalling value of indigenous platforms. Examples include Nigeria's Ezugwu MRAP, South Africa's Rooivalk and Badger programmes, Egypt's ST-100 vehicle and naval shipbuilding, Morocco's UAV and armoured vehicle assembly lines, and Ethiopia's drone manufacturing ambitions. The core dispute is whether sovereign production is economically rational at sub-continental scale, or whether pooled procurement, regional specialisation, and selective sovereignty over the most strategic items (munitions, ISR, cyber) represent a more realistic path.

Key players

Strategic Stability in the African Security Environment

Strategic stability in Africa is shaped less by nuclear postures than by the interplay of interstate rivalries, internal conflicts, and great-power competition. The Treaty of Pelindaba established Africa as a nuclear-weapon-free zone in 2009, but conventional flashpoints have multiplied: the Sudan civil war since April 2023, the eastern DRC conflict involving M23 and regional forces, tensions around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, instability in the Sahel following coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea, and contested maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Guinea and Horn of Africa. Layered onto these dynamics is intensifying external competition: Russia's Africa Corps (successor to Wagner) operating in the Sahel and CAR, expanding Chinese basing and security cooperation, renewed US AFRICOM activity, Gulf state involvement in the Horn and Sudan, and Turkish military diplomacy. The strategic stability debate centres on how African states preserve agency, prevent proxy escalation, and strengthen AU and regional mechanisms — including the African Peace and Security Architecture and the African Standby Force — at a moment when traditional peacekeeping is in retreat.

Key players

Geopolitical Adaptation and African Strategic Realignment

African states are navigating the most fluid geopolitical environment since the end of the Cold War. The post-2022 international order has been marked by Western-Russian rupture, intensified US-China competition, the expansion of BRICS to include Egypt and Ethiopia in 2024, and the assertive entry of middle powers — Turkey, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India — into African security and economic affairs. Many African capitals have responded with explicit non-alignment or multi-alignment, refusing binary choices and diversifying partnerships across security, trade, and technology. This adaptation has concrete defence dimensions: Sahelian juntas have pivoted from French to Russian security partners; Egypt and Ethiopia have joined BRICS while maintaining Western ties; Gulf states finance and arm rival factions in Sudan and Libya; and the African Union has pressed for permanent UN Security Council representation and a stronger voice in global governance. The debate is whether multi-alignment delivers genuine autonomy or simply exposes states to overlapping dependencies, and how African institutions can shape rather than absorb external competition.

Key players

Human Capital in African Defence and Security

Defence modernisation across Africa is constrained less by hardware availability than by the depth of human capital — skilled engineers, cyber operators, pilots, maintainers, intelligence analysts, and strategic planners. Many militaries continue to rely on foreign training pipelines: French Saint-Cyr, US IMET programmes, UK Sandhurst, Russian academies, Chinese PLA institutions, and increasingly Turkish and Pakistani schools. Brain drain from technical and medical fields compounds the challenge, as does the gendered underrepresentation in technical military specialties despite AU commitments under the Maputo Protocol and UNSCR 1325. Recent years have seen renewed investment in indigenous staff colleges, cyber academies, and defence universities — Egypt's Military Technical College, South Africa's SANDF College, Nigeria's Defence Academy, Kenya's Defence Forces Technical College, and Morocco's Royal Military Academy. The debate centres on curriculum modernisation for hybrid threats, retention of skilled personnel against private-sector and diaspora pull, and the integration of civilian technical talent into defence ecosystems through reservist and dual-career models.

Key players

Training, Interoperability, and Operational Readiness

Training is the connective tissue between equipment acquisition and operational effectiveness, and it has become a contested arena of foreign influence in Africa. For decades, bilateral training missions — French Opération Barkhane and EUTM, US AFRICOM exercises such as African Lion and Flintlock, UK BMATT, Chinese PLA programmes, and Russian military advisors — have shaped doctrine, language, and tactical norms across African forces. The withdrawal of French and UN training missions from the Sahel and the rise of Russian Africa Corps trainers in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and CAR mark a significant doctrinal shift. Simultaneously, African-led training architectures are maturing. The African Standby Force and its regional brigades conduct combined exercises; the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, IPSTC in Nairobi, and SADC Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre have professionalised peace support training. The contemporary debate covers interoperability across divergent doctrines and equipment fleets, the standardisation of counterterrorism and counter-UAS training, the ethics and accountability of foreign trainers, and how simulation, cyber ranges, and joint exercises can close readiness gaps cost-effectively.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Africa International Defence Exhibition and Conference (AFRIDEX).

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Arming an archipelago: Is time running out for Europe's oldest DMZ? | Euronews

Comprehensive approach to security: Federal Council launches consultation on Switzerland's security policy strategy

Georgia Considers Position in New South Caucasus Transit Era - Jamestown

North Korea's Nuclear Navy Developments

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

By committee

Frequently asked questions

Africa International Defence Exhibition and Conference (AFRIDEX)

Oct 26–29, 2026Lagos, NigeriaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Multi-Domain Resilience in African Defence · Defence Industrial Capacity on the African Continent · Supply Chain Security for Defence Procurement · Sovereign Production and Strategic Autonomy · Strategic Stability in the African Security Environment · Geopolitical Adaptation and African Strategic Realignment · Human Capital in African Defence and Security · Training, Interoperability, and Operational Readiness

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 6 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Nigeria

As the host nation, NGA is a central player in African security, facing significant internal and regional security challenges.

Role in topic

South Africa

ZAF is a significant defense industry player in Africa with advanced manufacturing capabilities and a history of regional security contributions.

Role in topic

Egypt

EGY possesses one of the most capable militaries in Africa and has growing defense industrial capabilities.

Role in topic

United States

The USA is a major global defense exporter and strategic partner to many African nations, providing military aid and training.

Role in topic

China

CHN is an increasingly influential defense supplier and investor in Africa, offering a range of military equipment and infrastructure development.

Role in topic

CHN will likely showcase its defense products, engage in discussions on military-technical cooperation, and seek to expand its influence and partnerships within the African defense sector.

Russia

RUS is a traditional and significant supplier of military equipment and training to several African countries.

Role in topic

RUS will likely present its defense industry offerings, engage with existing and potential clients, and participate in discussions on security cooperation and military assistance to African nations.