Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has entered into a deal for the mass production of Mines Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles for its counter insurgency and other operations.
The Nigerian Army on Tuesday signed the agreement with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) to initially produce 28 of such vehicles.
The Nigerian built armoured vehicles produced by DICON would be rolled out in a specified and agreed timeline.
Buratai said the deal was designed to make Nigeria produce its own operational equipment for the military.
In a prepared text, he said: “We are gathered here today to actualise one of the lofty dreams of the army in reducing challenges of having to rely on everything from outside Nigeria in terms of lethal equipment for Nigerian Army.
“Lethal requirement is one of the critical requirements that assist in professionally discharging our duties after good training. We have been relying solely in getting this critical equipment from outside.
“All of us are fully aware of the challenges that the Nigerian Army and Nigeria as a country has continued to face in all attempt to acquire all important military equipment for Nigerian armed forces particularly the army.
“We will go ahead to sign phases of the contract agreement for the production of our own indigenous MRAP named Ezugwu,’’ he said.
MM/GIK/APA