The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, has laid emphasis on the need for local manufacturers to take the lead in developing the country especially in the area of Defence.
Dr. Matawalle stated this on Wednesday, August 14, at the signing of a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Defence Industries Corporations of Nigeria (DICON) and the National Agency for Science and Engineering (NASENI) to establish an ammunition production factory in Nigeria.
The Minister who said the past administrations failed to achieve self-sufficiency in defence production pointed out that each ammunition cost the government dollars to purchase from outside manufacturers.
According to the Minister of State for Defence, he has made a promise to the President that as far as Ministry of Defence is concerned, his four years tenure will not expire without DICON exporting its military capabilities to other nations.
"If today we are producing 60 or 70 percent of our military hardware and ammunition, it will reduce the amount of money the ministry or the military is spending every year on the procurement of hardware and ammunition"
"The ammunition requirement of our military is about 200 million rounds per annum, just military, by the time you put together, all paramilitaries, the police, about 350 million rounds of ammunition will be used per annum” said the Minister.
The Executive Vice Chairman, NASENI Khalil Halilu earlier said the partnership between NASENI and the Ministry of Defence is a testament to the nation’s commitment to harnessing Nigeria’s scientific and engineering expertise in the service of national defence.
“NASENI has always been at the forefront of promoting innovation and technological advancement across various sectors in Nigeria, and with our track record of success in research and development, and manufacturing, we are well positioned to contribute meaningfully to the establishment of the Military Industrial Complex"
According to Mr. Halilu, the Military Industrial Complex would serve as a hub for the development and production maintenance of military equipment, ranging from small arms and advanced defence systems.
He therefore expressed confidence that the partnership will lay the foundation for self-reliant defence industry that can meet the needs of Nigeria's armed forces and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.
The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, who also gave a remark at the signing of the MoU said the Ajaokuta steel plant sits on about 24,000 hectares of land, while the steel plant, which has 44 production units, sits on 800 hectares and also has more than 10,000 housing units, of which only 3,000 to 4,000 are occupied.
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