Nigeria can tackle defence hardware challenges locally – Former DICON DG

By Kingsley Omonobi

ABUJA — Former Director-General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Maj.-Gen. Nnaemeka Charles Maduegbunam (rtd.), has said Nigeria can overcome many of its military hardware and equipment challenges by harnessing its pool of engineers, technicians and available local resources.

Maduegbunam said prioritising indigenous technology and local expertise would help the country achieve greater self-reliance in defence production while reducing the cost of acquiring and maintaining military equipment.

He spoke at the public presentation of his book, We Can Do It – Towards Nigeria’s Self-Reliance in Science and Technology, in Abuja.

The former DICON director-general said Nigeria must also discard the misconception that valuable technology could simply be transferred by foreign partners without substantial investment in local capacity.

According to him, DICON’s experience demonstrates the importance of indigenous capacity, discipline, innovation and sustained institutional support in building self-reliance.

Maduegbunam said the corporation had demonstrated its ability to refurbish and produce defence equipment, including weapons, while saving the country substantial resources.

He said one of the interventions undertaken by DICON saved the country about N5 billion, stressing that the philosophy behind his book — “We Can Do It” — should become a national mindset.

Chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji, said Maduegbunam’s achievements at DICON demonstrated the ingenuity and technical capacity within the Nigerian military.

Nnaji said DICON remained critical to Nigeria’s survival and development, adding that local production of defence equipment could reduce costs, conserve foreign exchange and strengthen the country’s technological capacity.

Former Chief of Defence Staff, retired Gen. Martin-Luther Agwai, described Maduegbunam as a knowledgeable and innovative officer who made significant contributions to United Nations operations in Sudan, the Armed Forces and the country.

Agwai said the revitalisation of DICON involved important political and diplomatic dimensions, particularly the refurbishment of G3 rifles, which he said subsequently served purposes beyond Nigeria’s immediate defence requirements.

In his goodwill message, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, commended Maduegbunam for promoting indigenous solutions to the Army’s equipment and technical challenges.

Shaibu, who was represented by the Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (NAEME), Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Adereti, said the Army’s pursuit of home-grown solutions was consistent with its efforts to reduce dependence on external solutions while strengthening local capacity in innovation, maintenance and repair.

Speaking in his personal capacity, Adereti recalled Maduegbunam’s initiative to modify a mobile field kitchen for operational deployment, describing it as a practical demonstration of how operational requirements could be converted into indigenous technical solutions.

He said the NAEME Corps regarded We Can Do It as more than a book title, describing it as a mindset built around self-belief, innovation and determination.

Adereti also announced a pledge to purchase 20 copies of the book on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff and the Corps, while personally committing to five copies.

Former Chiefs of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd.) and Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd.), also commended Maduegbunam for his ingenuity and expertise, particularly his role in the resuscitation and refurbishment of military hardware and equipment.

They highlighted the refurbishment of tanks which, they said, supported the Army’s operations against Boko Haram insurgency.

Dignitaries at the event included former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.); former Chief of Policy and Plans, Army, Maj.-Gen. Atofarati (rtd.); and former Chief of Training and Operations, Defence Headquarters, Maj.-Gen. Awala (rtd.), among others.

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