President Jonathan Commissions Bullet-proof Vest Factory in Kaduna

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan yesterday in Kaduna commissioned a bullet-proof vest production factory at the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).

According to a statement from the presidency, the project was undertaken as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between DICON and MAROM-DOLPHIN Nigeria Limited.  The factory will produce bullet-proof vests and other textile wares for the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies in the country.

The event, President Jonathan noted, signaled that the "nation's military establishment has effectively keyed into the Federal Government's Local Content Policy which is aimed at building indigenous capacity in the petroleum and other sectors of the national economy," said the statement.

“While urging all Nigerians to show patriotism by buying DICON products, President Jonathan indicated that a directive would soon be issued to compel all Federal agencies to patronize DICON unless they can prove convincingly that such products are not available locally,” it also said.

DICON was established by an Act of Parliament in 1964 to primarily "produce small arms and ammunitions for the use of the Nigerian Army, paramilitary and security agencies in the country."