Nigeria has a major double whammy: accelerating insecurity which is distorting its national budget, and constant need to purchase firearms even when it does not have a favourable balance of trade, pushing its currency into deeper valleys. To fix that problem, the nation’s president wants to have an import substitution: yes, make firearms locally. People, “On Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari said it’s time Nigeria starts building its own weapons to curtail dependence on foreign supply.”
“To address our over-dependence on other countries for military equipment and logistics, I have instructed the Defence Ministry to create a modest military industrial complex for the local production of weapons to meet some of the requirements of the country’s armed forces. This is being implemented under the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), a military department responsible for arms manufacture”.
I have written consistently that the insurgency in Nigeria provides a huge opportunity for the nation to develop a defense industry which if managed well could serve the world. Yes, unfortunately, the world will always have problems – and weapons will always be goods.
Yet, I am concerned because with corruption they can produce 100 for the government and 1000 for politicians ahead of elections. At least with import, you make the process harder but with local production, leakages will bound. This needs to be well managed!
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Indeed, you’ve written on it countless time. Now they have listened, the next line of action is paramount. Ensure production safety!