President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, announced that Nigeria will soon begin the production of its own weapons as the country battles security challenges on many fronts.
He said the Ministry of Defence had been instructed to create a modest military industrial complex for the local production of weapons to meet some of the requirements of the country’s armed forces.
The President disclosed this at the opening of a two-day Mid-Term Ministerial Performance Review Retreat organised to assess progress made towards the achievement of the nine key priorities of this Administration.
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The President said the establishment of the military industrial complex would address Nigeria’s over-dependence on other countries for military equipment and logistics.
He said the project is being implemented under the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), a military department responsible for arms manufacture.
In other efforts to strengthen national security, the President said it was gratifying to note that Nigeria had received six A-29 Super Tucano.
He said the propeller-driven aircraft were being used for training, surveillance and attack by the military.
Nigeria is facing insecurity on many fronts as the military battle with terrorists in the Northeast, bandits in the Northwest, farmers/herders crisis in the North Central, secessionists in the Southeast and Southwest and kidnappers marauding all over the country.
First published in Daily Trust