Nigeria to partner with arms producing companies

–Nigeria to soon begin local production of arms

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai

The Nigerian Army has disclosed plans to partner with prominent manufacturers of military hardware globally to produce modern equipment for its personnel.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, stated this on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen during an exhibition organised by some world renowned manufacturers of military arsenal at the Army Resource Centre in Abuja.

Buratai said “our aim is to collaborate with these organisations so we can have the best to modernise our own army.

“Their presence here will help greatly to modernise the Nigerian Army in line with contemporary development in science and technology.

“That is why we are collaborating with them.

“They came from different parts of the world, and we are really seeing the impact, the result of their various researches.”

Armoured vehicles, helicopter, army aviation, artillery, communication, ballistic vests (bullet proof) are some of the military hardware exhibited.

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Director of Peconian Ltd., Mr Phectim Rowe, one of the organisers of the exhibition, stressed the need for partnership between the Nigerian army and international arms manufacturers.

Rowe said partnership was necessary in helping the army to produce modern equipment, using local content.

He added that “we’ve got a lot of military formations from around the world and lot of industries from around the world.

“We are working together, a lot of local collaboration and local content.

“We have a lot of international partnership because this event is about land forces; it is also about getting local content, working for Nigeria.

“We need manufacturers in Nigeria, as well as internationally, we can have real partnership in the military.”