Nigeria inaugurates Presidential Committee on Defence Industries Corporation

By Gloria Essien, Abuja

Nigeria’s Vice President Namadi Sambo has inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).

Sambo said that the inauguration was to work towards revamping the crucial aspect of Nigeria's national development, which is the development of national capacity for defence hardware and other facilities.

The Vice President said that the committee would also review the structure, operations and activities of DICON with particular reference to its effect on military procurement and protection of military equipment in Nigeria.

Terms of reference
The committee’s terms of reference is to review the DICON Act and position it to effectively carry out its regulatory functions, to ensure compliance with guidelines in the procurement of defence equipment in the country, determine ways to encourage private sector participation in the activities of DICON as well as enhance the production of defence equipment.

The presidential committee is also to propose a sustainable funding frame work to enhance the development of defence equipment in Nigeria, determine ways to encourage patronage of neighbouring countries, and consider the need or otherwise of the establishment of the Defence Training Institute.

Sambo said that “the committee has four weeks to conclude its assignment.
With the calibre of membership, it is my belief that this important assignment will be effectively executed to yield result that will meet the expectation of Mr. President towards the attainment of our national development objective and to transform the defence industry in Nigeria to a higher level in line with Mr. President’s transformation agenda".

The Vice President also said that he believes that with the calibre of members in the committee, the important assignment will be effectively executed to yield result that will help Nigeria attain its national development objective and transform the defence industry.

Revamping of DICON
The Director General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, Major General Sule Usman Labaran, said that the setting up of the committee would help the agency to meet up with its mandate. (DICON)

He said that the revamping of DICON would assist the military in producing hard and soft wares for the general public like other countries.

“What we have noticed is that a lot of the security agencies procure a lot of items from other countries, I want to see how that can be minimized. We can't stop it but we have to minimize it so that local capacity can be developed to take care of some these equipments,” Major-General Labaran said.

He pointed out that this was the first time such a high powered committee was set up specifically for DICON and defence production in Nigeria, since 1964.

Members
Vice President Namadi Sambo is the Chairman of the committee; it has other members; they are the Attorney-General of the Federation, Ministers of Finance, Interior, Trade and Investment, Defence, National Planning, Police Affairs, Aviation, Transport as well as Science and Technology.

Others are: Director-General NICON; DG Bureau of Public Procurement; DG Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission; Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy; representatives of the National Security Adviser, service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police.

The office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation will provide secretariat.
VON