Nigeria Targets Advanced Weapons Manufacturing

The Ministry of Defence in Nigeria has set its sights on a potential collaboration with NEANY, a prominent US military firm, to establish advanced weapons production lines at the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).

During a two-day visit to the company, Dr Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, explored various areas of partnership, aiming to enhance Nigeria’s military capabilities in addressing security challenges. Mr Henshaw Ogubike, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday.

The primary objective of this collaboration is to create assembly lines dedicated to manufacturing cutting-edge military equipment, significantly contributing to Nigeria’s fight against insecurity. The initiative also aims to introduce innovative technologies that can augment the efficiency of the Nigerian military in tackling contemporary security threats.

NEANY, a renowned US military equipment manufacturing company, and DICON, a Nigerian government firm specialising in the production of military equipment and hardware, are the key players involved in these discussions.

Dr Matawalle stressed Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing the armed forces’ capabilities to effectively handle emerging security challenges during his visit to NEANY’s facilities.

“The comprehensive tour of NEANY’s facilities has provided me with insights into the cutting-edge military and intelligence hardware capabilities and high-tech equipment of the US,” stated Dr Matawalle.

“This tour marks a pivotal step in fostering collaboration and integrating cutting-edge military technologies to strengthen Nigeria’s defence capabilities.”

The minister further affirmed Nigeria’s dedication to President Bola Tinubu’s vision of modernising the armed forces to adeptly address evolving security threats.

The facilities visited by the minister during the trip included NEANY’s Rapid Deployment Mobile RADAR system, Unmanned Water Vehicle, Drone Ground Control Station, and Compact Biometric Search-scan System, among others.

NAN)