The Defence Industries Association of Nigeria has called on successive military and political leaders to ensure the continuity of Public-Private Partnerships agreements in the nation’s defence sector.

The secretary-general of DIAN, Kola Balogun, made the appeal in an interview on the sidelines of the just-concluded African Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja.

Mr Balogun said the sustainability of PPPs was critical to building investor confidence, developing local capacity, and ensuring the continuity of defence projects.

“Once a PPP agreement is signed, huge investments and overhead costs are already committed. For a successor to truncate such projects is not good enough for the continuation of public-private partnership initiatives,” he said.

The DIAN scribe noted that several defence industries across the continent had raised the same concern during the summit, adding that the chiefs of defence agreed on the need to sustain locally developed capabilities.

According to him, ensuring the continuity of such agreements will strengthen Africa’s defence industrial base, reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, and promote regional self-reliance.

Mr Balogun commended the summit for providing a platform to discuss challenges and harmonise strategies for African defence industrial development, adding that the resolutions reached would go a long way in reducing political influence in procurement.

“The chiefs of defence have all agreed on the importance of domestication of capabilities.

“With that consensus, presidents will listen to their own defence industries and ensure sustainability, rather than allow political influence to undermine the process,” he added.

He further urged African governments to build trust with local manufacturers by honouring existing agreements, stressing that no country could build a robust defence sector on the basis of policy inconsistency.

(NAN)