From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) has said the Corporation was taking indigenous production of military hardware to the next level by partnering with a firm, D7G to bolster the production of various aspects of defence production and manufacturing.
Director-General, Maj-Gen Babatunde Alaya, made the statement shortly after he led the D7G team on a guided tour of facilities at the production factory and Command Engineering Depot in Kaduna recently.
“We have a strong partnership with D7G and the essence of the partnership is to take indigenous production to the next level. We are talking of ammunition production, we are talking of weapon production, we are talking of manufacturing of vehicles and drones.
“We have started and we are trying to work out the modalities. We have a plan of action already.
“So, we are trying to establish timelines for each phase, so that in one year, two years to come, we know that we have started manufacturing locally.”
Chief Executive Officer (CEO ), D7G, Mr Osman Chennar, said the key objective of the partnership is to set up assembly plants for arms, vehicles, drones and other defence equipment.
Chennar said production lines for AK 47 rifles, ammunition and other critical defence products would soon be established.
He also said there would be training for the personnel on routine work at the assembly and production lines.
Chennar said: “In the arms assembly, AK 47, AK 103 rifles, sniper rifles, pistols and grenade launchers would be produced.
“In the vehicle assembly, we will be assembling 4×4 and 6×6 MRAPS and APCS vehicles. A drone assembly will also be set up for the production of UAVs, drones and anti-drones.”
Reports said that the action plan outlined by DICON and D7G demonstrates a commitment to enhancing Nigeria’s defence capabilities through indigenous production and manufacturing.
The projects and initiatives outlined aim to promote self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on external sources for critical defence products.