why a shift to homegrown defence is now under way

Dependency on Foreign Military Supplies: African militaries heavily rely on foreign countries like China, Russia, and the U.S. for arms, resulting in poor maintenance and breakdowns due to lack of local expertise and corruption.
Rise of Local Defense Capabilities: A quiet revolution is emerging as African governments, especially in countries like Nigeria and Morocco, are striving to build localized military capabilities and defense supply chains to reduce foreign dependence.
Examples of Local Innovations: Countries such as Nigeria and Morocco have made significant advancements, including developing local drone production and exploring advanced technologies like 3D printing for spare parts.
Necessity of Institutional Reforms: For local production to succeed, Africa must develop adequate institutional capacity, robust regulatory frameworks, and enhance human capital to integrate new technologies responsibly.
Challenges of Independence: While there is a push for technological sovereignty, total autonomy for high-end military systems is improbable, indicating that some dependency on external actors will persist for specialist components.
Need for Local Adaptation and Management: The successful implementation of new technologies requires that the equipment be adapted to deal with local threats and effectively managed and maintained by local forces to truly benefit African security.

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