Dr. Bello Matawalle, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, has announced that the government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has undertaken a comprehensive restructuring of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), aimed at bolstering its production capabilities. According to Matawalle, this initiative is set to save Nigeria millions of dollars previously spent on arms procurement abroad.
Speaking in an interview with Channels TV particularly on the commemoration of DICON’s 60th anniversary, Dr. Matawalle emphasized the urgent need for Nigeria to increase its local manufacturing output, particularly in the defence sector, to address the country’s growing security demands.
“For too long, Nigeria has lagged behind in advancing its local productivity, especially in the defence industry,” he remarked. “We attend security exhibitions around the world, observing the advancements of other nations, yet Nigeria has not been producing at the level required to meet our own needs. But today, under my supervision as Minister, we have initiated programs to enhance DICON’s capacity through a comprehensive remodeling.”
He further elaborated on the transformation underway at the corporation. “If you visit DICON today, you will witness a remarkable change. We now have investors who have established their plants on-site. This isn’t just for Nigeria; it’s for our neighbors as well.”
Dr. Matawalle underscored that the revitalization of DICON would greatly reduce Nigeria’s reliance on foreign suppliers, with arms, ammunition, and other military equipment now to be purchased in local currency.
“This move will also save us spendings in dollar, as purchases would be in Naira. It is as good as what NNPC is doing with Dangote Refinery. Our goal is to source all of our military hardware domestically, easing the pressure on foreign exchange reserves used for purchasing weapons