John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has promised that the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) can meet the demands of the military and other security agencies.
Matawalle said this at the DICON’s end-of-year celebration and Director-General’s Productivity Award ceremony in Kaduna at the weekend.
He emphasised that the recent assent of the DICON Act 2023 by President Bola Tinubu had paved the way for the corporation to strengthen Nigeria’s defence capabilities.
Matawalle said the defence ministry had given a lot of tasks to the DICON’s Director-general, adding that he was equal to the task.
The minister promised that within a limited time, they would come to celebrate the full production of arms within the country.
Matawalle emphasised that the defence ministry was trying to limit procurements outside the country.
He, therefore, said the DICON’s Act 2023, recently signed into law by the President, was working effectively.
The minister said: “Any requirements of the military or other security agencies have to come to DICON for supply.
“Before now, we send our money to other countries, devaluing our currency, which makes the dollar go higher because we don’t have a productivity plan.
“Today, we thank God that with the leadership of the DICON’s director-general, the industry is seeing a lot of changes.”
Matawalle said that DICON was expected to reach its peak in military and paramilitary requirements, particularly in the production of arms and ammunition.
He said that he had never believed that DICON could produce 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
“Today, DICON can produce so many rounds of ammunition for the military. Our target is to produce 300 million rounds of ammunition.
“We will also be producing other military equipment like MRAPs, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and other equipment for the military and paramilitary agencies,” he added.
Matawalle assured Nigerians that in three to four months, DICON would meet the demands of the military and other security agencies.
Speaking further, Matawalle said the end-of-year celebration and productivity award was supposed to be held annually to engender motivation to the staffers.
He commended the director-general, his management staff and other workers for their dedication and hard work.
Earlier, the DICON’s boss, Maj. Gen. Anaedi Edet said the celebration and the award were to mark the successful conclusion of the corporation’s 2024 activities and production year.
Edet said DICON was established with the visionary mandate to enhance the operational capabilities of the Nigerian Armed Forces by ensuring Nigeria’s self-reliance in essential military hardware.
He, however, said the mandate was not just for defence but a strategic move to foster technological advancement and industrial development within Nigeria.
Over the decades, he said, DICON had evolved significantly to meet the dynamic needs of the armed forces.
“Initially focused on the production of small arms and ammunition, we adapted to address the increasingly complex and contemporary threats facing our nation.
“As the landscape of defence technology and industry expanded, so too did our scope, including venturing into civilian applications that leverage our technological capabilities,” he said.
Edet said the corporation had resumed productive activities despite the numerous challenges and had inaugurated the new DICON board at the Ministry of Defence with the support of Matawalle.