Nigeria to Revitalise Defence Industry Corporation, Says Minister

The Nigerian Government has expressed its determination to revitalise the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), a state-owned enterprise that produces weapons and military equipment for the country’s armed forces.

Badaru said that the revitalization of DICON would enable the country to produce its own military hardware and reduce its dependence on foreign suppliers. He also said that Nigeria would continue to partner with Turkey on a government-to-government platform for military intelligence sharing and defence cooperation.

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, who accompanied Badaru, also reiterated the Federal Government’s plan to resuscitate DICON during his visit to the organisation last week. He promised that the industry would be transformed to a full production capacity in the production of military equipment and hardware.

The Director General of DICON, Maj. Gen. AE Edet, assured the ministers of DICON’s unwavering commitment to its vision and objectives, which it was set up for. He said that DICON was established by an Act of Parliament in 1964 to produce weapons locally, but its inability to deliver on its mandate had made the military heavily dependent on foreign countries for arms and ammunition.