Jonathan commissions ballistics vest factory

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, commissioned a ballistics vest factory complex for the production and sale of military ancillary products, including personal protection armour such as tactical ballistics vests (bullet-proof vests) and night vision goggle equipment, saying that henceforth, Nigeria will not import any military goods that can be produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
He also disclosed that the Federal Government would send a bill to amend the DICON Act to the NationalAssembly to give it a global outlook and allow it to export its products.
President Jonathan, who wore the army highest rank of Field Marshal, stated that the Federal Government would also give preferential treatment to any local or foreign firm which is ready to partner and site defence industries anywhere in the country.
The ballistics vest factory, situated in Kakuri, Kaduna State, is the result of a joint venture agreement between DICON and an Israeli firm, Marlon Nigeria Limited.
The joint venture company - DICON-MARLON - will also diversify into the tactical textile field, which will offer designing and developing services for tactical textile solutions.
DICON, on its part, is producing rifles, pistols, sub-machine guns and General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG). It will also have the prototypes of the RPG (Rocket Propelled Gun Grenade) Launcher and the 81mm mortar lined up for production.
DICON was established in 1964 for the production of arms and ammunition for the nation’s military and security agencies.
The Act of Parliament establishing it also mandated it to use its excess capacity to support the development of local industries in the country.