Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle said yesterday that the Nigerian Armed Forces, para-military and the police need 350 million rounds of ammunition yearly for effective operations.
The minister spoke on the imperative of self-sufficiency in defence production during the signing of a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of a weapon production plant in Abuja.
The MoU was between the Ministry of Defence and two agencies – the Defence Industries Corporations of Nigeria (DICON) and the National Agency for Science and Engineering (NASENI).
The ceremony was attended by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, service chiefs and heads of security agencies.
Also yesterday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu explained why he signed the DICON Bill within six months, saying that he was driven by his vision of self-reliance in defence production.
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The president shed light on his security priorities at the 60th anniversary of DICON and maiden African Defence Industries Conference in Abuja.
He emphasised that the country has to achieve self-sufficiency in military hardwears.
The theme of the conference was: DICON at 60: Future Frontiers in Africa’s Defence Technology.”
President Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said DICON has become “a cornerstone of Nigeria’s military-industrial complex, producing ammunition and equipment that support Nigeria’s military and security agencies.”
