The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Musa, says the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON ) now partners with international and local firms to bolster its production of arms and ammunition.
Musa said the decision of the company was in line with the DICON Act 2023, assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
The act seeks to foster growth of indigenous companies within the Military Industrial Complex.
The CDS stated this at a 5km Health Walk in its commemoration of the corporation’s 60th anniversary on Saturday in Kaduna.
The CDS was represented by the Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Maj-Gen John Ochai.
He said, “The 60th anniversary is significant considering its establishment four years after independence.”
”It is critical to pay tribute to the worthwhile leaders who saw the necessity to establish the very important corporation.”
Musa added that the act, which expanded its scope, significantly showed that the reform programme of the current Director-General has been given presidential seal and approval of the National Assembly.
He said, “From the brief we received, there is no more stopping DICON, they have gone into international and local partnership to begin production of arms and ammunition.
“As a matter of fact, the Nigerian Defence Academy currently use ammunition produced by DICON and we are aware that the Nigerian Army has also invested in purchasing arms and ammunition from the corporation.”
Musa said that more of such partnerships would be struck to produce other military hardware such as armoured vehicles, ships, tanks, air crafts and other defence-related products.
He said,”This will go a long way in conserving foreign exchange for the nation and the exports, which will earn income to the nation.
”By doing so, the Federal Government will have enough resources to spend on other aspects of national life to enhance the livelihood and standard of living of the average Nigerian.
”What has happened at 60 is very significant not only to the corporation and the armed forces of Nigerian but for the nation in general.”
The CDS recalled that, prior to the contemporary age, arms manufacturing was exclusive for the developed world.
Musa said: ”Now Nigeria has joined in the sparing of this human endeavor, which is a cause to be proud of by any Nigerian.. There is no longer stopping DICON.”
Earlier, the director-general of DICON, Maj.-Gen. Aniedi Edet, thanked Tinibu for assenting to the DICON Act 2023.
Edet stressed, ”It has given the corporation the robustness and impetus to be able to do far more in terms of productions.
”The establishment of DICON was a very important action and it is now a national strategic asset to the country.”
He, therefore, said the corporation at 60, has many things to be celebrated.
Edet listed them to include the mandate for self-sufficiency, which would be strengthened and rekindled so as to be able to produce for the armed forces and other security agencies.
He equally said they were celebrating not only the support they were getting from the president, but also from the Minister of Defence, the CDS, the service chiefs and the heads of paramilitary institutions.
“Even the Inspector-General of Police has indicated interest to patronise DICON,” he said.
Edet added that they were celebrating strategic partnerships, adding, ”what we are doing in the corporation is reforming, and producing innovatively through embracing modern technologies to meet the needs of the armed forces.
”DICON is celebrating the fitness of its men, which was why we had a five kilometers walk.”
According to him, if the men are not fit and sound in mind, they would not be able to produce.
“We put the welfare and health of the men at fur, which is also one of the five pillars of our management focus.
”This is why a range of programmes that we lined out to celebrate the anniversary included the Juma’at prayers.
“We believe God has answered our prayers by giving us good weather today, we had a football match and a very robust engagement today.
”Tomorrow, we will have the interdenominational service and other programmes lined up for the celebration.
“We are celebrating the vision of our forefathers who thought it wise to establish this asset known as DICON four years after our independence.
“The nearest to it in the whole of Africa is the Armscore in South Africa which came on board in 1968 and the Donnie which came on board in 1992,”
Edet said.
He stated the need for the corporation to refocus in view of the current realities to encourage indigenous production.
