Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle, announced on Monday that several African countries are now looking to the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) for their arms and ammunition needs.
During a speech at DICON’s 60th anniversary celebration and the launch of the first-ever Africa Defence Industries Conference, Matawalle spoke about the corporation’s evolution and achievements in the face of industry challenges. He highlighted how DICON has grown from producing small arms and ammunition to manufacturing military vehicles, artillery, and other essential defense equipment.
“DICON’s journey began with a modest start, focusing on the production of small arms and ammunition,” Matawalle said. “Over the years, DICON has expanded its capabilities, venturing into the manufacture of military vehicles, artillery, and other defense equipment.”
Matawalle underscored that DICON’s six-decade history reflects Nigeria’s determination to achieve self-sufficiency in defense production. He also noted that the corporation’s progress is being recognized beyond Nigeria’s borders. “We assure you that we have the capacity to produce, and many African countries now come to DICON for the procurement of arms and ammunition,” he added.
Supporting this, Ibrahim Kana, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defense, said it is now mandatory for all Nigerian security agencies to source their arms and ammunition from DICON. He also revealed that the country aims to stop importing certain types of ammunition in the near future. “In the next two years, Nigeria will not buy 7.62mm calibre ammunition again,” he stated.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
