The Minister of Defense, Mohammed Badaru, has reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the local production of arms and ammunition for the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Badaru spoke to Ii Kaduna on Thursday when he toured the facilities of the Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
He said that the commitment was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the 2023 DICON Act, which is aimed at local manufacturing of military hardware, among other provisions.
Badaru added that with the level of DICON’s hard work, resilience, and determination, shortly the nation would attain sufficiency in military hardware production.
He disclosed that the Imperium Ultramodern Production Facility, a private company that is in partnership with DICON, would probably be completed and commissioned in six months.
“We are encouraging the private sector to invest in military equipment such as bullets, protective gear, and other platforms so that we will no longer be importing them and to open the door for job creation,” he said.
Badaru expressed satisfaction at the pace at which the construction and resuscitation of some of the DICON facilities were moving.
“About five factories are now in the process of being inaugurated. We have seen the one at Kachia, which is only awaiting the machines that are already on the ground to be installed.
“We have also seen DICON-SUR, which is almost complete; we have also seen the Pro-force and DICON news sites where MRAP will be produced and for future manufacturing of drones.
“With these new factories that are coming up, we will be able to have more local production of military equipment, he said.
Speaking further, the minister said there were many other factories that were showing interest in partnerships.
According to him, some were accepted and will soon begin construction for the production of bullets and guns and the assembly of helicopters and drones.
He thanked Tinubu for his encouragement, funding the military, DICON, and the signing of the DICON Act.
“President Tinubu is doing his best; we are pushing so hard, like the new factories we have all seen.
”Of all the factories, only one is owned by the government, while the others are in partnership with DICON.
“We are trying to encourage more private investments in arms and ammunition and defence equipment manufacturing in the country, he said.
Also speaking, the Director-General of DICON, Maj.-Gen. Aniedi Edet, said their partnerships with Imperium Ultramodern Production Facility and other private companies were critical to the nation’s defense production needs.
He acknowledged the support of the Federal Government and the new DICON Act, which would go a long way toward actualizing the needed sufficiency in arms and ammunition for the nation’s defense needs and other platforms.
Edet reassured DICON of the Federal Government’s commitment to meeting its mandate for the defense needs of the nation.
In a remark, one of the private partners, the CEO of Imperium Ultramodern Production Facility, Mr. Agbo Shedrack, explained that the partnership between his company and DICON has given the private sector leeway to embark on massive projects.
He assured the minister of quality output in terms of military hardware at the end of the project for effective service delivery.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defence minister toured the DICON Primer Cap Factory in Kachia, the LGA of the state.
He also toured the DICON Ordinance Factory in Kakuri, its substations, and workshops, among others.
The minister also inaugurated the DICON board room at its headquarters in Ahmadu Bello Way, within Kaduna metropolis.(NAN)
