The minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, has disclosed that the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), a parastatal under the defence ministry, is working towards producing 300 million rounds of ammunition.
Matawalle made this statement during the DICON’s end-of-year celebration and director-general (DG) productivity award ceremony on Friday in Kaduna.
The minister stated that the recent assent to the DICON Act 2023 has significantly enhanced Nigeria’s defence capabilities, yielding effective results.
He added that the defence ministry aimed to reduce foreign procurements and achieve self-sufficiency in arms production within the country in a short timeframe.
“Any requirements of the military or other security agencies have to come to DICON for supply,” Matawalle said.
“Previously, we would spend our foreign exchange abroad, devaluing our currency and causing the dollar to appreciate, due to the lack of a productivity plan.”
“Today, we are grateful that, under the leadership of DICON’s Director-General, the industry is undergoing significant transformations, and DICON is now capable of producing numerous rounds of ammunition, which are being supplied to the military.”
“Our objective is to produce 300 million rounds of ammunition; we will also manufacture other military equipment, such as MRAPs, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and other gear for the military and paramilitary agencies.”
Matawalle added that within three to four months, DICON would meet the demands of the military and other security agencies.
