The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called on the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to develop solutions that will ensure the security and prosperity of the country and the entire African continent in the years to come.
He said to confront threats to peace and stability African countries must continue to work together to strengthen their defence capabilities and foster regional cooperation.
The defence chief said this at the 60th anniversary of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and the maiden Africa Defence Industries Conference on Wednesday, August 14, in Abuja.
He said the theme of this conference, “DICON at 60: Future Frontiers in Africa’s Defence Technology”, underscored the importance of collaboration and innovation in addressing the complex security challenges facing our continent.
He said: “It is also a call to innovate, embrace new technologies, and develop solutions that will ensure the security and prosperity of our nation and continent in the years to come. In a world where the dynamics of warfare and defence are rapidly evolving, it is imperative that we remain at the forefront of technological advancement.
“As African nations continue to confront threats to peace and stability, it is essential that we work together to enhance our defence capabilities and foster regional cooperation.
“As we reflect on the security challenges grappling our respective nations today, there is a growing imperative to fully develop our indigenous production capacities, and strengthen our military-industrial complex.
“This conference therefore sets the stage to share ideas, promote innovations, and create networking opportunities for DICON and other Defence Related Industries in Nigeria.”
In his remarks, the Director-General of DICON, Maj.-Gen. Aniedi Edet said the DICON might not be where it ought to be in the last 60 years of existence, but the rebranding of the corporation through the new DICON Act would propel it to embrace new opportunities to meet its mandates of enhancing military capabilities, human capital development and cooperations.
Maj-Gen Edet said DICON had evolved over decades and adapted to the dynamic landscapes of military technology and global defence trends.
He said DICON’s focus in the early years was predominantly on the production of small arms and ammunition to meet the needs of the military and other security agencies, but the interpretation of its mandate changed due to emerging complex security threats in the country and the entire African continent.
“In the 21st century, our projects have become more diverse, encompassing not only military products but also ventures into civilian applications that leverage our technological capabilities, he said.
The Director-Genera said the theme of this conference “Future Frontiers in Africa’s Defence Technology”, had challenged them to reflect on their collective journey, to “innovate, and to strengthen the ties that bind us in our common pursuit of building a DICON that will guarantee self-sufficiency in the equipment needs of our Armed Forces, and other security agencies in Nigeria.”
He said at 60 years DICON is the vision of its founding fathers who thought it right to establish such a strategic national asset, the mandate of achieving self-reliance and self-sufficiency, contributions to the nation’s peace and security, staff of the corporation dead and alive, DICON Act 2023 signed by President Bola Tinubu, and Strategic Partnerships which usher in a new dawn of networking and innovation, among others.
He said through its renewed strategy DICON would be “committed to pioneering the development of cutting-edge defence technologies that address both current and emerging security challenges, invest in our human resources which is fundamental in building a viable Military Industrial Complex, committed to building international partnerships and collaborations, through which we can share innovations and technologies already in existing on the global stage, and launch a well-researched and peer-reviewed book that answers to many questions raised around DICON and Nigeria’s Military Industrial Complex.”
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