By Bashir Aliyu
A Kano-based philanthropist and public affairs analyst has saluted the incredible performance of Defense Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) for spearheading the production of domestically manufactured military equipment which would help reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported arms and allow Nigerian companies to take Military-Industrial Complex to another level.
Last week, the Federal Government pledged to pump more money into the DICON and make sure it increases production to meet the growing demands of Nigeria’s military and help export military hardware to other African countries.
Since the state Minister of Defense Dr Bello Matawalle came to the ministry, he made it a priority to make sure DICON not only functions but also produces modern quality military equipment such as Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), ammunition, military gears, drones, helmets as well as engineering equipment which are vital for military operations in difficult terrains.
According to Fadima Ibrahim this massive transformation of DICON will enable Nigeria to maintain the momentum in fight against terrorism and help the armed forces to deal a decisive blow to the enemies of peace who are threatening our peace in the country.
“This will of course bring security to our country and create thousands of jobs for Nigeria.” She said.
The businesswoman also praised Dr Bello Matawalle for making sure Nigeria has become self-reliance on defense since the country has the technical know-how to domestically produce advanced military and surveillance equipment.
“We need to continue to support domestic production. It’s the only way to help develop our country and help other countries in Africa to fight insecurity on their territories. So the accomplishments of Dr. Bello Matawalle in Nigeria’s Military-Industrial Complex is amazing.” She added.
Nigeria has been facing a lot of internal problems as non-state actors continue to engage in terrorist activities such as kidnappings and armed robbery, but despite the challenges, Nigeria has been able to incredibly weaken terrorists and by focusing on domestic weapons production, Nigeria is on course for self-sufficiency in the defense sector which would add impetus to its long-term strategies of positioning Nigeria as largest army exporter in Africa.
