The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, on Wednesday said that indigenous manufacturing of arms and ammunition in commercial quantity, will lower the pressure on naira and improve its value in the foreign exchange market.
Matawalle, also disclosed that the country is grappling with a significant demand for ammunition, with the military alone requiring approximately 200 million rounds each year. He added that when the needs of other paramilitary forces and the police is factored in, the total annual requirement for ammunition surges to a staggering 350 million rounds.
The Minister made this disclosure on Wednesday, when ministries of defence, steel development, and the national agency for science and engineering infrastructure (NASENI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to facilitate massive production of arms and ammunition in Nigerian through the military industrial complex.
He however, expressed optimism that the country is on track to begin exportation of arms and ammunition in no distant time, through the revitalized Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
Matawalle who doubles as the board chairman of DICON, said: “I made a promise to Mr. president that as far as we are in ministry of defence, before the expiration of these four years, DICON will be exporting its military capability. Therefore, all we need from all of you is prayers and your dedications.We should look at it as our own baby. If today, we are manufacturing even 60 or 70 percent of our military hardware and ammunition, the ministry or military need for forex for importation of arms and ammunition every year would have reduced minimally. The requirement of just military is about 200 million rounds of ammunition per annum. Put together, other paramilitary agencies, and the police, we would be looking at about 350 million rounds of ammunition per annum”.
He noted that if the military industrial complex is able to achieve the projected volume of arms and ammunition, the country will not have the problem of this foreign exchange pressure because, the ammunition will be purchased with local currency. According to him, if the military or police or DSS, or civil defense, are buying from DICON, they will pay with Naira, and the pressure of sourcing forex will be eliminated.
The Ministry of Steel Development, which oversees the Ajaokuta Steel Plant, is expected to create a robust ecosystem for the production of military hardware, ranging from small arms to advanced defense systems. The Ajaokuta Steel Plant, located on 24,000 hectares of land, will play a pivotal role in supplying the raw materials needed for the production of military equipment.
Speaking at the singing of the MoU, the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, highlighted the strategic importance of Ajaokuta in this initiative, saying, “Ajaokuta provides the perfect platform for the military industrial complex. With its vast resources and existing infrastructure, it has the capacity to support the production of helmets, vests, rifles, bullets, and even military tanks”.
He noted that the collaboration is not only expected to enhance Nigeria’s defense capabilities but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs and reducing the country’s dependence on foreign imports.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Ibrahim Kana, said that working together with the private sector, will lay a solid foundation for a self-reliant defense industry that can meet the needs of armed forces and contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.
NASENI’s CEO, Khalil Halilu, said the MoU represents the beginning of a long-term collaboration aimed at enhancing our defense capabilities through innovation and indigenous production.
Ikechukwu Aleke
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