In a significant step towards enhancing Nigeria’s defence capabilities and achieving self-reliance in military hardware production, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Defence and its manufacturing enterprise, the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) for the establishment of an ammunition production factory.
This partnership is a unique opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen its defence infrastructure through indigenous innovation and technological advancement, NASENI Director of Information, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan, explained after the signing of the MoU in Abuja on 13 August.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria requires two hundred million rounds of ammunition annually for its operations.
The minister, while blaming past governments for the nation’s failure to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of military hardware, assured Nigerians that DICON would, in the next three years, export its military capabilities through local manufacturing of military hardware.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, highlighted the importance of the Military Industrial Complex (MIC), as not just a strategic initiative but a national imperative.
“Today, we are embarking on a journey that will redefine Nigeria’s defence landscape and secure our nation’s future,” said the NASENI Executive Vice Chairman. “This partnership between NASENI and the Ministry of Defence is a testament to our commitment to harness Nigeria’s scientific and engineering expertise in the service of national defence,” he said.
According to Halilu, “NASENI’s track record in research, development, and manufacturing positions the agency as a key player in the establishment of the MIC. The new Military Industrial Complex will serve as a hub for the development, production, and maintenance of military equipment, ranging from small arms to advanced defence systems.”
He also explained that the aim of the project was to create a robust ecosystem that supports the needs of the Nigerian Armed Forces while fostering the growth of local industries, thereby reducing reliance on foreign imports.
“‘This MoU represents the beginning of a long-term collaboration aimed at enhancing our defence capabilities through innovation and indigenous production,” he continued.
“Our goal is to ensure that our military is equipped with the best tools to defend our nation, and through this partnership, we will lay the foundation for a self-reliant defence industry that will also contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth,” he added.
Other stakeholders present to witness the signing of the landmark agreement included the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Dr Ibrahim Abubakar Kana and; and senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
NASENI was established by the Nigerian Government in 1992 to promote and develop science, technology and engineering infrastructure in the country. It was also set up to address various challenges and needs in Nigeria’s scientific and technological development.
The agency has a network of 12 Development Institutes spread across Nigeria – each with its own focus area and mandate.
The agreement with NASENI came at the same time as the Presidency pledged to make significant investments in DICON to ensure it achieves its mandates before 2030.
This is according to Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, representing President Bola Tinubu at the 60th anniversary celebration of DICON and the maiden African Defence Industries Conference held in Abuja this week.
On Wednesday 14 August, He said that with the signing of the DICON Act 2023, a new era for DICON has been marked, positioning it as the arrowhead of the nation’s Military Industrial Complex.
“It is also providing a robust framework to drive our strategic objectives in defence manufacturing and technology and supporting the modernisation of our Armed Forces to address national and subregional security challenges.
“The DICON Evolution Strategy and Road Map 2030, based on the DICON Act 2023 that we launch today, aims to bridge performance gaps in our Military Industrial Complex and reposition DICON as a global player, as was long envisaged by our founding fathers.
“To this end, my administration will invest substantially in DICON to ensure it delivers on its mandate efficiently within the 2030 roadmap timeframe,” he said.
“I am happy to see the progress towards establishing our first uncrewed or unmanned aerial and land vehicle automated production lines. These lofty steps would indeed bring us closer to the rest of the world, and no doubt significantly impact our current efforts to defeat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes in our country.
“Introducing the BAT A-1 Specialised Assault Rifle and its production line will address small arms proliferation issues while equipping our security operatives with modern fighting capabilities.
“The proposed state-of-the-art micro motherboard processing facility will be the backbone of robotics and artificial intelligence innovations, leveraging resources from our newly inaugurated lithium development plant in Nasarawa State,” he said.
In February, DICON Director-General, Major General Aniedi Edet, said DICON had resumed the production of ammunition and delivered four million rounds to the Nigerian Army in January as it embarks on an ambitious expansion drive.
In November 2023, Tinubu signed the new DICON bill (The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act, 2023), which empowered DICON to operate, maintain, and control subsidiaries and ordnance factories to manufacture, store, and dispose of ordnance and ancillary stores and material.
The new act also established the Defence Industry Technology, Research, and Development Institute (DITRDI) to “create a scientific and research-based technological foundation for Nigeria’s defence industry through the leveraging of combined, multi-disciplinary research from multiple military research institutes for application that leads to commercialization and the development of new military technology and capacity in Nigeria.”
In September 2023, Nigeria approved a $1 billion partnership agreement with the Indian government to help DICON attain 40% self-sufficiency in local manufacturing and production of defence equipment in three years.
The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria was established in 1964. It operates an Ordnance Factory in Kaduna, where it makes small arms and ammunition, including assault rifles, machine guns and sub-machine guns (in 2018 it secured an agreement with Poland’s PGZ to manufacture Beryl assault rifles locally). Its Special Vehicle Plant is carrying out the refurbishment and upgrade of armoured vehicles, and has manufactured locally developed Ezugwu mine-resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles for the Nigerian Army.
