Nigeria Ministry of Defence may produce own weapons to fight the deadly Boko Haram sect according to the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari has ordered the ministry to produce a plan for the establishment of a military industrial complex for the local production of weapons for the use of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The president was speaking through his media aide, Garba Shehu.
Buhari gave the directive at the graduation ceremony of the National Defence College, Abuja.
He said the location production of arms was meant to end the current over-dependence on other countries for army equipment and logistics.
Buhari added that such a thing was not acceptable to his government.
He said: “We must evolve viable mechanisms for near-self-sufficiency in military equipment and logistics production complemented only by very advanced foreign technologies.
“The Ministry of Defence is being tasked to draw up clear and measurable outlines for development of a modest military industrial complex for Nigeria.
“In this regard, it is to liaise with other strategic MDAs and industries to re-engineer the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to meet national military hardware and logistics requirements.”
Buhari was said to have also told the gathering that his government had, studied the nature and character of Nigeria’s security threats and challenges.
The president said: “We recognised first and foremost, the external dimensions of these threats and the need for international cooperation and common security mechanisms to tackle them.”
He added that in the light of this realization, his government was convinced that the best approach was to work within the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission to mobilise a joint regional effort in the fight against insurgency.
Nigerian leader advised the graduates and officers and soldiers to work harder to win the war against Boko Haram, terrorism.
“We must apply a comprehensive strategy and coordinate all elements of national power against terrorism and insurgency; we must show result-oriented leadership at all levels of military Command; we must set up an optimal organisation to manage and sustain operational performance; and we must show confidence and winning mentality,” he noted.
There had been reports that the faction of Boko Haram group has already reached the president seeking to start peace talks.
Buhari has ordered the ministry to produce a plan for the establishment of a military industrial complex for the local production of weapons for the use of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The president was speaking through his media aide, Garba Shehu.
Buhari gave the directive at the graduation ceremony of the National Defence College, Abuja.
He said the location production of arms was meant to end the current over-dependence on other countries for army equipment and logistics.
Buhari added that such a thing was not acceptable to his government.
He said: “We must evolve viable mechanisms for near-self-sufficiency in military equipment and logistics production complemented only by very advanced foreign technologies.
“The Ministry of Defence is being tasked to draw up clear and measurable outlines for development of a modest military industrial complex for Nigeria.
“In this regard, it is to liaise with other strategic MDAs and industries to re-engineer the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to meet national military hardware and logistics requirements.”
Buhari was said to have also told the gathering that his government had, studied the nature and character of Nigeria’s security threats and challenges.
The president said: “We recognised first and foremost, the external dimensions of these threats and the need for international cooperation and common security mechanisms to tackle them.”
He added that in the light of this realization, his government was convinced that the best approach was to work within the framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission to mobilise a joint regional effort in the fight against insurgency.
Nigerian leader advised the graduates and officers and soldiers to work harder to win the war against Boko Haram, terrorism.
“We must apply a comprehensive strategy and coordinate all elements of national power against terrorism and insurgency; we must show result-oriented leadership at all levels of military Command; we must set up an optimal organisation to manage and sustain operational performance; and we must show confidence and winning mentality,” he noted.
There had been reports that the faction of Boko Haram group has already reached the president seeking to start peace talks.
