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The Nigerian government spends a staggering $400 million annually on ammunition for the Armed Forces, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle said.
Matawalle revealed that the military requires 200 million rounds of ammunition every year, costing at least $2 per round.
He disclosed this on Wednesday at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Defence, Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in Abuja.
The Minister expressed concern that Nigeria’s reliance on foreign ammunition suppliers drains the country’s resources.
He blamed past governments for the nation’s failure to achieve self-sufficiency in defence production..
His words: “We have been travelling all over the world, and we see how local manufacturers are developing their countries. But unfortunately, Nigeria, for 60 years, has failed to build the institutions but that has changed and it will continue changing, inshallah.
“When I assumed this office, I promised Mr. President that as far as MOD, before the expiration of his four years, I assure him that DICON will be exporting its military capabilities.
“What we need from all of you is prayers and your dedication. We shall look at it as our own baby, not just for me, but for all of us. Of course, if today we are producing 60 or 70 percent of our military hardware and ammunition, it will reduce the amount of money the ministry or the military is spending every year on the procurement of hardware and ammunition. The ammunition requirement of our military is about 200 million rounds per annum. Just military. Put together, other paramilitaries, the police, we are looking at about 350 million rounds of ammunition per annum”.
Responding, the Executive Vice Chairman, NASENI Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the signing of the MoU was a significant milestone in strengthening the nation’s defence capabilities and achieving self-reliance in the production of military hardware.
This partnership between NASENI and the Ministry of Defense is a testament to our commitment to harness Nigeria’s scientific and engineering expertise in the service of national defense.”
Halilu said: “NASENI’s track record in research, development, and manufacturing positions the agency as a key player in the establishment of the MIC. The new Military Industrial Complex will serve as a hub for the development, production, and maintenance of military equipment, ranging from small arms to advanced defense systems.
He added that the project will o
create a robust ecosystem that supports the needs of the Nigerian Armed Forces while fostering the growth of local industries, thereby reducing reliance on foreign imports.
“We are ready to work tirelessly to ensure that the vision of a Nigerian Military Industrial Complex becomes a reality. We owe it to our nation, to our Armed Forces, and to the generations yet unborn,” he said.
On his part, the minister of steel development, Shuaibu Audu, stated that the Ajaokuta Steel Plant provides a perfect platform for the Military Industrial Complex.”
He noted that the Ajaokuta steel plant sits on about 24,000 hectares of land, while the steel plant, which has 44 production units, sits on 800 hectares and also has more than 10,000 housing units, of which only 3,000 to 4,000 are occupied.
According to him, “So it has the capacity to be able to withhold military barracks. There’s an engineering workshop in some of the production units there that can help to produce helmets, vests, rifles, bullets, and body parts for military tanks and the like.
“There are great opportunities for this initiative to dovetail into an MOU partnership between the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Steel Development to take this initiative further.”
