Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has promised that the Nigerian Defence Industries Corporation will satisfy the requirements of the military and other security organisations.
Matawalle made this statement during Friday’s Director-General’s Productivity Award ceremony and DICON’s end-of-year celebration in Kaduna.
He underlined that President Bola Tinubu’s recent approval of the DICON Act 2023 had made it possible for the company to improve Nigeria’s defence capabilities.
Matawalle claimed that the Director-General of the DICON had been assigned numerous tasks by the Defence Ministry and that he was capable of handling them.
The minister assured them that they would arrive to celebrate the nation’s complete armour manufacturing in a short period.
Therefore, he claimed that the DICON’s Act 2023, which the President just signed into law, was operating efficiently.

“Any requirements of the military or other security agencies must come to DICON for supply,” the minister stated. Because we lacked a productivity plan, we used to send our money abroad, depreciating our currency and driving up the value of the dollar.
“Today, we are grateful that the industry is witnessing significant transformations under the direction of the DICON’s director-general.”
According to Matawalle, DICON is anticipated to peak in terms of military and paramilitary needs, especially in the manufacturing of weapons and ammunition.
“I never thought DICON could make 10,000 rounds of ammunition,” he remarked.
“DICON can now manufacture a large number of rounds of ammunition and send them to the military.” The production of 300 million rounds of ammunition is our goal.
He went on to say, “We will also be producing other military equipment for the military and paramilitary agencies, such as MRAPs and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).”
Matawalle assured Nigerians that DICON would comply with the military’s and other security agencies’ requests within three to four months.
In addition, Matawalle stated that the purpose of the yearly productivity award and end-of-year party was to inspire employees.
He expressed gratitude to the director-general, his management team, and other employees for their commitment and diligence.
Before this, Maj.-Gen. Anaedi Edet, the head of DICON, stated that the award and celebration were intended to commemorate the successful end of the company’s 2024 operations and production year.
According to Edet, DICON was founded with the ambitious goal of securing Nigeria’s independence in vital military equipment to improve the operational capabilities of the country’s armed forces.
However, he asserted that the mandate was a calculated step to support Nigeria’s economic growth and technical improvement in addition to its defence needs.
He said that DICON had changed dramatically over the years to accommodate the changing demands of the military.
“We adjusted to meet the more complicated and modern threats confronting our country after first concentrating on the manufacture of small guns and ammunition.
“Our scope expanded along with the defence industry and technology landscape, including stepping into civilian applications that capitalise on our technological capabilities,” he stated.
Despite the many obstacles, Edet said the company had returned to productive operations and, with Matawalle’s help, had established a new DICON board at the Ministry of Defence.
Notwithstanding the documented achievements, he bemoaned the company’s ongoing struggles, which included a lack of money, obsolete machinery, a lack of skilled workers, and the urgent need for employee certificates and training.
However, the head of DICON stated that they were still steadfast in their resolve to overcome the obstacles.
“As we look to the future, we are committed to finding new funding sources, making investments in cutting-edge production lines, and giving our employees’ training and development top priority.”With a committed staff and a clear vision, DICON is well-positioned to overcome these obstacles and succeed even more.
“Our ‘All DICON factories must produce’ campaign demonstrates our dedication to technological innovation and teamwork for our country’s security and development.
“The DICON end-of-year celebration is a call to action for all employees and stakeholders, as well as a chance to reflect on our accomplishments,” he stated.
According to Edet, the occasion also served as a chance to honour and recognise the outstanding employees who stood out in 2024.
He went on to say that it demonstrated the diligence and commitment of everyone who has helped DICON succeed.
He promised that DICON would continue to be steadfast in its resolve to carry out its mission.