President Muhammadu Buhari said Nigeria planned to speed up the domestic production of weapons for its armed forces, in an effort to cut the country’s dependence on import.
“The Ministry of Defence is being tasked to draw up clear and measurable outlines for development of a modest military industrial complex for Nigeria,” Buhari said during a speech at the National Defence College in Abuja.
He said he wanted an overhaul of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), a military division responsible for weapons production which was set up in 1964 but has fallen into decline. Its factory in Kaduna now mainly produces rifles and civilian tools, said Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu, adding that defence chiefs had been asked to “re-engineer” DICON.
“We must evolve viable mechanisms for near-self-sufficiency in military equipment and logistics production complemented only by very advanced foreign technologies,” said the president, a former military ruler.
Buhari said Nigeria’s dependence on other countries for critical military equipment was unacceptable. Last year a dispute developed between Nigeria and South Africa after South Africa seized $15 million in funds which Nigeria said was for legitimate deals procuring weapons for its armed forces. The US is also planning to remove all restrictions to selling weapons to Nigeria
