President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has launched the DICON Evolution Strategy and Road Map 2030, based on the DICON Act 2023, aimed to bridge performance gaps in Military Industrial Complex and reposition DICON as a global player, as was long envisaged by founding fathers.
The President Tinubu who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Senator George Akume launched the DICON Evolution Strategy and Road Map 2030 while declaring open the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and the Inaugural Africa Defence Industries Conference at the Shehu Musa Yar`Adua Centre, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, theme: “DICON @60: Future Frontiers in Africa’s Defence Technology”.
He noted that this strategy aligns primarily with two key priorities of his Renewed Hope Agenda: strengthening national security and accelerating economic diversification through industrialisation, digitisation, manufacturing, and innovation, Industrialisation and innovation, as we all know, are capital-intensive ventures but necessary for the growth of any nation.
President Tinubu also unveiled the introduction of the BAT A-1 Specialised Assault Rifle and its production line which will address small arms proliferation issues while equipping the security operatives with modern fighting capabilities.
The proposed state-of-the-art micro motherboard processing facility will be the backbone of robotics and artificial intelligence innovations, leveraging resources from our newly inaugurated lithium development plant in Nasarawa State.
Expanding our production capabilities and enhancing our research and development efforts will create jobs, develop human capital, and stimulate economic growth. Establishing a tech hub and R&D lab in Abuja will provide the enabling environment and attract young talent to foster a culture of Innovation, driving Nigeria's defence industry forward.
The President also pledged that his administration will invest substantially in DICON to ensure it delivers on its mandate efficiently within the 2030 roadmap time frame.
He noted that the upgraded capabilities emerging from this strategy will significantly enhance the defence infrastructure, ensuring peace and prosperity for the country.
He said: "As we march into the future, international collaborations will play a vital role in our success. The Maiden Africa Defence Industries Conference, which I am honoured to declare open today, is a platform for forging strategic partnerships to enhance our capabilities and promote regional security. I invite our international partners to join us as we work together to build a safer and more prosperous Africa."
In his remarks, the Minister of State Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle urged all Nigerians work together; government, industry, academia, and the private sector, to realize the ambitious goals set out in the Vision and Strategy Road Map 2030.
The Minister affirmed that the DICON at 60 celebration also serves as the platform for the launch of DICON's Vision and Strategy Road Map 2030.
He noted that this strategic plan is aligned with the President's "Renewed Hope Agenda" and is designed to position DICON as a leader in defence innovation, not just in Nigeria but across the African continent.
Dr Matawalle also added that the roadmap outlines clear objectives for strengthening our national security, promoting sustainable development, and driving economic diversification through defence sector industrialization, digitization, and innovation.
On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Gwabin Musa has said the inaugural Africa Defence Industries Conference (ADIC) will serve as a premier platform to achieve DICON objective by bringing industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to collaborate, share insights, and explore the future frontiers of defence technology in Africa.
He said this conference therefore sets the stage to share ideas, promote innovations, and create networking opportunities for DICON and other Defence Related Industries in Nigeria.
He said this incidentally, sync with his vision for the Armed Forces of Nigeria, which is 'to nurture a professional Armed Forces that is people-centric,collaborative and capable of meeting its constitutional responsibilities in a joint environment'.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the 24th Director General of Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria's (DICON) Major General Aniedi Effiong Edet affirmed that DICON has a lot to celebrate, despite the many challenges it has faced over the years.
"We must celebrate and salute the vision of DICON's founding fathers who thought it right to establish such a strategic national asset in 1964. We must celebrate the mandate of achieving self-reliance and self-sufficiency, and all DICON has done over the years to achieve this.
"Celebrate the contributions of DICON to Nigeria's peace and security, right from the civil war 1967-1970, and COVID era. Celebrate the great men and women, serving and retired, dead or alive who have worked in different capacities to keep DICON operational, especially former Board Chairmen and members, and former DGs (many of whom are here).
He noted that the Strategic Partnerships, which usher in a new dawn of networking, innovation and technology for DICON will be unveiling a new corporate strategy and strategic road map that would create new value for all stakeholders and ensure the growth of Nigeria's Military Industrial Complex, with DICON at its center.
Maj General Edet noted that through this strategy, DICON will be committed to pioneering the development of cutting-edge defence technologies that address both current and emerging security challenges, committed to Investing in our human resources which is fundamental in building a viable Military Industrial Complex.
He added that DICON will be committed to building international partnerships and collaborations, through which we can share innovations and technologies already in existing on the global stage.
The DICON DG also said a well-researched and peer reviewed book that answers to many questions raised around DICON and Nigeria's MIC will be launched. In addition to the Panel Discussions, there will be a Defence Innovation Challenge initiated to harness and channel the innovative skills of our youths to good use in our MIC ecosystem.
