Steel ministry, DICON to boost military hardware production
The Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, says his ministry will broaden collaboration with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria in military hardware production.
Mr Audu disclosed this during a working visit to DICON on Thursday in Kaduna.
He said, “We are already collaborating with DICON, but we want to expand the partnership further.
“We are in advanced talks to finalise an MoU with DICON, the Ministry of Defence, and Ajaokuta for military hardware production, pending presidential approval.
“The future is bright for Nigeria. If we succeed, we will boost national security and enhance our defence manufacturing capabilities,” he said.
The minister said he was impressed with the progress made under the leadership of the DICON director-general, Maj.-Gen. Anaedi Edet.
“I have seen rifles, bullets, and ammunition being produced here. About 20 million rounds of ammunition are produced annually, with rifle production reaching 2,500 units per quarter,” he noted.
However, he observed that raw materials, especially steel, are imported mainly from China and other countries.
“Under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, we aim to produce steel materials locally to bridge this gap. We have iron ore, dolomite, limestone—everything needed for steel production in Nigeria,” he added.
The DICON boss said the agency was leveraging cooperation between the ministries of defence and steel d.
Mr Edet said, “We aim to be Africa’s leading force in defence manufacturing through innovation and strategic partnerships. The minister’s visit gives us hope. We believe better prospects lie ahead, as he has rightly said.
“The minister has seen steel is our core raw material for weapons, ammunition, and other defence systems.”
According to him, most of the steel used at DICON is currently imported, but the new cooperation offers hope for improvement.
He said, “This visit is significant. We appreciate the minister for taking time from his tight schedule to visit DICON.”
He assured the minister that DICON would continue to utilise available resources to make Nigeria proud.
(NAN)
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