The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has revealed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria require 200 million rounds of ammunition each year for their operations, costing the government approximately $2 per round. This amounts to an annual expenditure of N600 billion.
Dr. Matawalle made this disclosure on Wednesday during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for the establishment of an ammunition production factory in Nigeria.
The minister criticized previous governments for failing to achieve self-sufficiency in defense production, stating, “We have traveled around the world and seen how local manufacturers are developing their countries. Unfortunately, for 60 years, Nigeria has failed to build these institutions. But that is changing, and it will continue to change, inshallah.”
He also committed President Tinubu, promising that under his leadership, DICON would begin exporting its military capabilities before the end of the President’s four-year term. Dr. Matawalle emphasized the importance of dedication and collective effort, noting, “If we achieve even a 60 to 70% reduction in our military hardware and ammunition costs, it will be a significant accomplishment, considering that just the military requires about 200 million rounds of ammunition annually. When we include other paramilitary forces and the police, the total demand rises to approximately 350 million rounds per year.”
