In a bid to ensure production of quality indigenous military hardware in the country, the Nigerian Army (NA), Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), and University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) on Wednesday, signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the development of composite material for Armour Plating and other military hardware.
The Chief of Policy and Plans (NA) Lt.-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, who represented the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai at the Army conference room in Abuja, said the collaboration between the three institutions found its roots from President’s Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order 005 of 2018, for the development of local content in science, engineering and technology (SET).
Buratai said the Executive Order is expected to promote indigenous technology that will assist in the production of both civil and military hardware.
He said: “It is in this vein, that the Nigerian Army seeks to collaborate with indigenous professionals in planning, designing and execution of projects to enhance national security.”
He expressed confidence that the three parties involved in the MoU signing stand to benefit mutually, hence, they should painstakingly respect and implement holistically, the terms of agreements as espoused in the MoU.
In his remark, the Vice Chancellor (VC) of University Ilorin Prof. Suleiman Abdulkareem assured that the university will continue to conceive potent ideas on how to improve the status of the military.
He said he was glad with the cooperation between the University and the Nigerian Army as it will prepare the minds of those in sciences, including physical Sciences and Engineering to be ready to focus their opinion of what could be done to improve the status of military men in the area of cooperation and sharing potent ideas for a common goal.
He noted that Nigeria has enormous resources that if properly harnessed will add value to the industry and thanked the Nigerian Army for making the signing of the MoU a reality.
Also speaking, the director-general DICON Maj.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu said, DICON has manufactured different varieties of Mine Resistance Vehicles (MRAPS) and other military hardware.
He said, the composite materials which are used for the production of ballistic vests, Armour plating amongst other is imported in China with high cost noting that if the local metals are harnessed, it will bring about a reduction in the nation’s dependency on foreign military equipment, thereby saving hard-earned foreign exchange in the country.
“It will also boost the development of indigenous capacity in research and development, especially towards attaining self-sufficiency in the production of both civil and military hardware, together with other sampling products,” he said.
