Military equipment manufacturer located in Nigeria Buckler Land Systems recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Defence Industries Cooperation of Nigeria (DICON) for the joint production of military hardware for the Nigerian Army and other security agencies.
Buckler’s CEO Olatunji Omotoriogu posted on LinkedIn that “Today marks a significant milestone for us at Buckler Land Systems,”
“This collaboration will also see us exporting our excess production capacity to support other Armies in Africa. This achievement is the result of a process that began 6 years ago.”
“The timing of this partnership aligns perfectly with our recent groundbreaking ceremony for our 180,000 Saft state-of-the-art industrial complex. This facility will focus on producing security equipment to bolster the operations of our armed forces.”
“Gratitude goes out to His Excellency, the Honorable Minister of Defence, The Chief of Defence Staff, The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, and the DG of DICON for this opportunity.”
Buckler Land Systems manufactures civilian armoured vehicles, turnkey/Engineering, procurement and construction contracts for armoured Vehicle plants, design, prototyping and manufacture of military vehicles, and manufacture of ordnance equipment.
The Defence Industries Cooperation of Nigeria (DICON) has announced that it has resumed the production of arms and ammunition after years of suspension, following a series of reforms and funding from the government and foreign partners.
DICON, the state-owned corporation responsible for the production and supply of defence equipment to the Nigerian military and other security agencies, had been facing operational and financial challenges that hampered its ability to meet the country’s defence needs.
DICON had supplied about four million rounds of ammunition to the Nigerian Army in January and was assembling some range of weapons that would enhance its operations.
The revival of DICON is attributed to the signing of the DICON Bill into law by President Bola Tinubu in November 2023, which he said would enable the corporation to build a military-industrial complex with DICON as the hub.
The DICON Bill, 2023, which was sponsored by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, repeals the previous DICON Act and introduces several reforms and innovations to the corporation.
The bill empowers DICON to operate and maintain subsidiaries and ordnance factories, establish a research and development institute, provide a regulatory framework for the defence sector, and attract private capital to facilitate production and innovation.
The bill will also enable DICON to produce a wider range of defence products, such as weapons, ammunition, vehicles, uniforms, and equipment, and export them to other countries. The bill will also foster the development of local content and technology transfer in the defence sector, creating opportunities for local manufacturers, suppliers, and researchers.
The signing of the bill is the latest in a series of initiatives taken by President Tinubu to boost Nigeria’s defence industry. In September 2023, the president approved a $1 billion deal with India to modernize DICON’s facilities and increase its local production of defence equipment to 40% by 2027.
DICON’s resumption of arms production is a welcome development for the country, as it will not only strengthen its defence capabilities, but also create jobs, generate revenue, and promote innovation.
In 2022, DICON and the Nigerian Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company (NAVMC) created the Alkali MRAP after leveraging on the experiences gathered by troops over the years on the battlefield. Both Nigerian defence companies had earlier designed the battle-proven Ezugwu MRAP which has seen several iterations over time. The company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Ilorin to develop Composite materials for Armour plating for use in the production of military vehicles.