Nigeria’s innovation and technological development in the production of military hardware will soon bring her at par among the comity of nations while also contributing to countering various security threats which have confronted the nation.

President Ahmad Bola Tinubu who was represented by the secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume said this when he declared the 60th Anniversary celebration of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria and the inaugural African Defence Conference, Wednesday in Abuja.

“I am happy to see the progress towards establishing our first uncrewed or unmanned aerial and land vehicle automated production lines. These lofty steps would indeed bring us closer to the rest of the world, and no doubt significantly impact our current efforts to defeat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes in our country.

“National security remains a top priority of my administration. The contemporary security challenges we face as a nation require buying into the concept of the Whole of Government and Society Approach to resolve them decisively,” he said.

President Tinubu said his quest to sign DICON Act has created an enabling environment for top-notch military equipment to cater for national and regional security challenges.

“My passion to see the speedy growth of DICON and Nigeria’s Military Industrial Complex motivated me to sign the DICON Act 2023 into law within my first six months in office. The right environment has thus been created for DICON to be equipped with modern automated production lines and production systems.

“With the signing of the DICON Act 2023, we mark a new era for DICON, positioning it as the arrowhead of our Military Industrial Complex, providing a robust framework to drive our strategic objectives in defence manufacturing and technology and supporting the modernisation of our Armed Forces to address national and sub-regional security challenges”.

Tinubu said his administration will invest substantially in DICON to ensure it delivers on its mandate efficiently within the 2030 roadmap timeframe. The upgraded capabilities emerging from this strategy will significantly enhance our defence infrastructure, ensuring peace and prosperity for our nation.

He said, “the newly automated production lines for various categories of ammunition, Mine Resistant Ambush Patrol Vehicles, Armoured Personnel Carrier, drones, and unmanned ground vehicles, for instance, will provide our armed forces with advanced equipment tailored to our contemporary challenges providing our troops with the required advantage over our adversaries. Introducing the BAT A-1 Specialised Assault Rifle and its production line will address small arms proliferation issues while equipping our security operatives with modern fighting capabilities.

“The proposed state-of-the-art micro motherboard processing facility will be the backbone of robotics and artificial intelligence innovations, leveraging resources from our newly inaugurated lithium development plant in Nasarawa State. Expanding our production capabilities and enhancing our research and development efforts will create jobs, develop human capital, and stimulate economic growth. Establishing a tech hub and R&D lab in Abuja will provide the enabling environment and attract young talent to foster a culture of Innovation, driving Nigeria’s defence industry forward”.

He further called on all stakeholders, armed forces, industry partners, and the international community, to support and participate in implementing the DICON Evolution Strategy and Road Map 2030.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, called on young Nigerian innovators and others to showcase defence solutions to countering prevalent security challenges confronting the nation and sub-region at large.

“Embedded within the Africa Defence Industries Conference is the Defence Innovation Challenge. The Challenge is an initiative designed to pull Nigeria’s young skilled talents together, stimulate and reward groundbreaking innovations in defence. This challenge, conceptualized by Kryterion Limited in partnership with DICON, will provide a platform for young innovators, startups, and research institutions to present their cutting-edge solutions to enhance national and regional security.

” Today, the challenges we face are complex, but with unity, determination, and innovation, we can overcome them and build a stronger, more self-reliant defence sector that will be a source of pride for Nigeria and a model for other nations,” he stated.

While presenting his speech, the Director General, DICON Maj. Gen. Aniedi Effiong Edet said DICON is evolving to meeting the security needs of the nation especially with the challenges faced by the nation.

“In the early years, our focus was predominantly on the production of small arms and ammunition, meeting the critical needs of our military and other security agencies. However, as the threats facing our nation and region became more complex and contemporary, so too has the interpretation of our mandate.

“In the 21st century, our projects have become more diverse, encompassing not only military products but also ventures into civilian applications that leverage our technological capabilities.

Edet also said DICON is building a future where Armed Forces would continue to play a pivotal role in enhancing the defence capabilities not just of Nigeria, but of Africa and beyond.