DICON Nigeria Military Looks Up To Brazil To Produce High Calibers’ Weapons

By Suleiman Umaru

 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a happy. The Nigerian President’s source f happiness is that is dream of reviving the abandoned Defence Corporation of Nigeria, DICON, established some sixty years in the north western state of Kaduna state is gradually is taking shape.

The Nigerian President may have known that the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram, the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, Bandits Group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, founded by Nnandi Kanu, currently in Department of State Services, DSS, custody and Eastern Security Network, ESN, cannot be effectively tackled if the country remains a net importer of importer of arms and ammunition.

The Lagos state born Nigeria President may have been encouraged to revive the DICON, facilities in Kduna state expected ‘’to operate, maintain, and control subsidiaries and the ordinance factories to manufacture, store and dispose military materials in Kaduna state.

Recall that in establishing DICON, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the then Nigerian Prime Minister, had got the Parliamentary approval   to also establish the Defence Industry Technology, Research and Development Institute, DITRDI, ‘’to create a elaborate scientific and research -based technological foundation for the Defence Industry’’.

Given an insider information, a retired Army General, who spoke to The Value News on condition of anonymity had said that DICON, ought to have started manufacturing higher Calibers’ equipment through leveraging of the combined, multi-disciplinary research from multiple military research    institutes for application before now but failed to do so. The retired Army General had said that the intention of the NIgerian Government under the leadership of late Balewa was to ensure   ‘’the commercialization and development of new military technology in Nigeria’’ but the opportunity was lost after to several years of neglect.

In taking the bold initiative to follow up the DICON Bill to its logical conclusion until when it was passed by the National Assembly ,  the Nigerian President  had said that’’ it will incentivize  the development  of a nuanced financing  of the country’s security architecture  that enables private capital  to be injected ‘’to facilitate research, development  and production  in the country’s defence sector  in a transparent  and predictable fashion’’.

With the signing of the DICON Bill passed by the National Assembly by  President tInubu, may have emboldened Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, the incumbent minister of Defence,  to declare that ‘’it would stimulate  the economy and further help  the country  ”to become self-reliant  in the manufacturing  of military  equipment  and hardware”.

Badaru, minister of Defence visists DICON Facility inKaduna

The minister, who was said to have visited the DICON Imperium facility, DICON Primer Cap Factory in Kachia and the DICON ordinance factory amongst others in Kaduna, accompanied by  AE Edet, an Army Maj. General, who incidentally is   the  Director General, DICON, and other top military officers,  was said to have expressed satisfaction  with the level of work  that had had been done in the factories.

The minister was said to have given his words that once works on the multi-million projects are completed going by the support from the  President  , DICON,  will be a hub in  defence  equipment production in the African Continent.

The Zamfara state born politician had confirmed that some private companies have signified interest in investing in the production of military hardware in Nigeria. He may have gladdened the heart of Nigerians after a visit to the Kaduna Ordinance factory when he stated that the country will be able to  produce   all the country’s defence needs  locally  as soon as the facilities are completed and commissioned in Kaduna  between now and 2027 .

There are indications that Imperium DICON Complex, EMPAIL Ltd , Proforce  Nig. Ltd,  EPAIL Ltd and some other Companies  are investing massively  in the local production  of defence gadgets and equipment , which an insider had said included  bullet proof vests, ballistic  helmets, guard booths and assembly of  light Armoured Assault Vehicles.

An elated Badaru, who could not hide his feelings had said that with the level of partnership with other Indigenous  Companies, hopes of Nigeria becoming   a majorsupplier  of defence equipment  in the African Continent and other parts of the world has  brightened.

Christopher Musa, an Army General and Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, who many believe had given the Nigerian military a focus over the last one year of mounting the saddle, had reechoed what the minister of Defence had said after a recent visit to the DICON facilities in Kaduna when he appeared on Channels Television on Friday, January 25, 2025, Politics Today.

Gen. Musa: CDS

Gen, Musa, described in security circles as one of the best CDS, that Nigeria has ever produced since the outbreak of Terrorism in 2009, appears, had said that the revival of the over sixty -year-old DICON, in Kadun a isa step in the right direction. An elated Gen. Musa, who could not hide his feelings while speaking on Channels Television, politics Today, on Friday, had said that with the passage of the DICON Bill by the National Assembly, which had been signed into Law by President Tinubu, will set the country on the path ‘’ to becoming a super power in the production of military equipment in a few years’’.  

He was said to have given his words that the military will sustain the DICON facilities in Kaduna state because’’ many investors, both local and foreign are interested’’, noting that the investors are coming in just as the government owned arms and ammunition manufacturing company already have lots of partners.

The CDS, m say have shocked Nigerians when he averred that both not for the several years of neglect by previous Administrations, production of military gadgets and equipment at the DICON, facilities in the north western state of Kaduna, which is currently producing small calire.7.22mm of weapons, would have been manufacturing the 9mm, directly.

He had a reason for believing that the country can still manufacture the higher calibre equipment of 12.7mm and above. Given that the Kaduna based DICON Ordinance facility as at the time it was established some 60 years ago,  could assemble guns  but later stopped due to financial constraints may have informed why the CDS, had said that the it will still repeat it this time around that it has the President’s support.

Gen. Musa, who was said to have stated clearly    that that the  production of  hardwares locally  will go a long way ‘’to help create  employment opportunities at the DICON facilities in in the north western Kaduna state  for the teeming unemployed Nigerian youths  and improve the country’s foreign exchange  rate at the official and parrel, popular , Black markets . 

The General had said that the local production of the military equipment and hardware   will enable the Nigerian military ‘’to sell the excess arms and ammunition to the neigbouring Wes African countries and other African countries to raise funds for the military.

 The Nigerian military High Command may have taken the production of weapons serious at the DICON facility in Kaduna   because the foreign manufactured super Tucano bomber aircrafts have restrictions where it can be used going by the United Nations UN, Law. 

For now, the Nigerian military which is looking up to the South American country of Brazil which at present produces unmanned aircrafts, unmanned submarines and other heavy equipment, have vowed to achieve the same target in no distant time with the take off of production at the DICON facility in Kaduna state.

 Nigerians are watching to see how Gen. Musa intends to push the DICON Management Team and the technical staff to meet their production target to be in the League of Brazil and other arms and ammunition across the world.      

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