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Defense Industries Corporation (DICON)

The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria was established by an Act of Parliament in 1964. Consequently a West German manufacturing firm Fritz Werner was assigned the task of providing technical expertise and setting up the ordnance Factory in Kaduna. Defence Industries Corporation (DICON) was primarily established to produce small Arms and Ammunition for the use of the Nigerian Army and other Security agencies. The Corporation also uses its excess capacity to produce machinery spare parts for industries and other products for civilian use.

The state-owned Defence Industries Corporation (DIC) geared up to produce ammunition during the civil war. The Nigerian Civil War which occurred between 1967 -1970 necessitated the tripling of the above production rates and the factory was thus able to make a significant contribution to the war effort. After the war in 1970, the lucrative arms market for DICON ended . Therefore, in order to remain in business DICON decided to use its equipment to produce civilian items like rural water supply equipment, industrial spare parts and furniture for sale to the public.

By the 1970s, its facilities in Kaduna produced West German-designed HK G-3 rifles, BM-59 and PM-12 handguns, and 7.62mm and 9mm parabellum ammunition. Lack of financial and management support, however, impeded further progress until the DIC was reenergized in 1984 by then army chief of staff Babangida. After becoming president, Babangida expanded the DIC to increase Nigeria's self- reliance.

In 1977 the army decided to standardize its infantry weapons with Belgian FAL assault rifles, Browning GP pistols, and MAG machine guns. In 1978 licensed production rights were acquired, and in 1980 the DIC's facilities in Kaduna were adapted and upgraded by Belgian technicians to assemble these weapons. Production began in 1983; full production capacity was achieved in 1987; and the next year the DIC was reported to be relying entirely on local raw materials and to be producing all the basic rifles and ammu- nition the army and police used. Its annual production capacity was 15,000 FAL rifles, 9,000 to 10,000 GP pistols, and 1,000 MAG machine guns. The FAL rifle entered service in 1989 as the NR-1.

DICON is in Technical Partnership with Poly-Technologies of China. In 2004 DICON successfully produced prototype medium range weapons namely 60mm mortar, 81mm mortar and the RPG-7. The weapons were successfully test fired at the Kachia range with the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in attendance. DICON has successfully established a new production line for the manufacture of 7.62mm x 39 ammunition which is the preferred ammunition by the Security Services. This informed the Corporation’s current effort to develop and mass produce a Nigerian version of AK47, which uses the same 7.62mm x 39mm ammo.