By Sumaila Ogbaje
D7G Nigeria Ltd, an indigenous defence related firm, has vowed to boost Nigeria’s defence capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign procurement of arms, through collaboration with Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
Retired Maj.-Gen. Mainasara Masanawa, Director, Land Systems, Innovation, Research and Development, DICON-D7G, said this in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, on Wednesday, inaugurated the DICON/D7G Board.
Musa had, in his remarks, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing dependence on foreign arms procurement and enhancing its defence industrial base.
Masanawa said the joint venture was formed to develop Nigeria’s military industrial complex to enhance security in line with the DICON Act 2023, as well as President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on security.
“The company’s overall operation is actually self-financed and is committed to paying 30 per cent of its profit to the government on all manufactured or assembled goods or stocks in Nigeria, and 20 per cent profit to the stocks of goods that are imported.
“D7G in collaboration with DICON, is set to establish the first military jetty in Lagos on a land covering about 160,000 square meters.
“That military jetty is where we will have space and warehouses for a lot of activities because the land is vast.
“We will be, in addition to stocks of arms and ammunition, be assembling drones, unarmed aerial vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, 4×4 vehicles, 6×6 armoured personnel carriers and mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles.
“The idea is also to use that opportunity to develop human capacity. Human capacity in the sense that we will employ skilled retired military specialists in the company.
“So the armed forces have trained them so much and most of them have retired and they are going with their knowledge. This is an opportunity to bring them back and tap from them.
“We will also employ young engineers, scientists, electrical and electronic engineers that we will bring them on board that will be guided by these skilled military personnel to develop weapons systems, radars, electronics, and also give youths opportunity to display their skill in this new generation of artificial intelligence,’’ he said.
Masanawa said the joint venture had led to production and assembling of arms in Kaduna factory that would be readily available to the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies, while developing their factory in Lagos.
He said the company would also go into ship building when its factory comes on stream.
“During the DICON at 60, we brought in eight foreign companies under our umbrella, and we are going to leverage on that, develop the capacity in defence production for Nigerian armed forces, security agencies, intelligence, and other paramilitary organisations.
“By that also, we will save the government funds, that is, forex, because we can sell our goods and services, both in naira and in hard currency.
“However, if the government is to procure from outside, they have to pay in hard currency. So we will be saving the government’s forex by providing all the defence equipment needs of the armed forces and paramilitary organisations in Nigeria locally.
“With that, our armed forces and security agencies will be self-sustained and self-sufficient to address all security challenges that had been existing, or may emanate in the future,’’ he said. (NAN)
