Defence Minister charges Military researchers, engineers on made in Nigeria warfare equipment

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Minister of Defence, Maj General Bashir Salihi Magashi has urged the Military Researchers and Engineers to brainstorm utilizing the newly commissioned Defence Research and Development Bureau in producing indigenous equipment that would guarantee the success of the Nigeria Armed forces in surmounting operational challenges.
A issued yesterday by Kabir Isa BalaFor: Director, Press & Public Relations, said General Magashi gave the charge while commissioning a modern research Bureau for the Armed forces established at the Ground Square in Abuja.
The Minister said it is necessary to look inward in the provision of sufficient and efficient warfare equipment and platforms for the Military to enable it discharge constitutional responsibilities promptly and summarily.
He expressed hope that products from the New Complex would greatly cut costs of importing such equipment and the delay before it arrived.
“The Bureau would be a key driver to the employment of unique and modern techniques for the operations of the Armed forces as well as facilitating the self reliance drive envisioned by President Mohammed Buhari when the Bureau was conceived.
The Defence Minister noted that the Bureau, operating from its temporary site, had shown the capacity to generate technical solutions of sufficient quantities through corroborative research, poiting out that now our forces are able to confront some operational challenges utilizing some products of the Bureau.
General Magashi stated that Nigerians have confidence in the Armed forces and it is important for the Military to be highly innovative and self reliant in producing indigenous hardware to beef up the insufficiency impeding efficiency in operations.
“This development calls for self appraisal in vision and determination to ingeniously our military requirements. “ the Minister affirmed.
He remarked that most Armed forces in the world that have attained self reliance in equipment and platforms in the first instance, had faced challenges.
“Therefore the need to evolve a new concept of ‘made in Nigeria for military equipment and platforms is suggestive.”
General Magashi described the Bureau as a dire necessity because according to him it would avail the nation avenues to develop and implore technology needed in curtailing current security challenges.
The Chief of Defence Staff Lt Gen Gabriel Abayomi Olanisaki in a remark commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Defence Minister for their unrelenting support and commitment towards the success of the Nigerian Armed forces in the discharge of constitutional responsibility and promised not to waiver on safeguarding the tenets of democracy as enshrined in the constitution.