Nigeria’s push for self-reliance in arms and ammunition production received a significant boost on Wednesday as the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) signed a joint venture agreement with SP Offshore Nigeria Limited.
The partnership will pave the way for the local manufacturing of military hardware, including weapons, ammunition, fast assault craft, drones, and security vehicles.
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at DICON headquarters in Kaduna, the Director General of DICON, Major General Babatunde Ibrahim Alaya, described the agreement as a landmark development in Nigeria’s drive to establish a robust military industrial complex.
“This memorandum of understanding with SP Offshore takes DICON to another level,” Alaya said. “We are now partnering with another Nigerian company to produce ammunition, weapons, and establish a jetty in Lagos where we can manufacture fast assault craft, security vehicles, and other platforms critical to our national security.”
He revealed that local production of ammunition would commence within a year, with plans to expand to full weapons manufacturing shortly afterward.
