Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, has begun a three-day working visit to the Czech Republic aimed at strengthening defence industrial cooperation and boosting Nigeria’s local military production capacity.
A statement on Sunday by the Ministry of Defence, said Matawalle led a delegation comprising officials of the Ministry of Defence, the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to the Czech Air Force Day, Air Show and Defence Exhibition in Ostrava.
The visit comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to expand indigenous defence manufacturing through DICON, which has been pursuing partnerships with foreign defence firms to increase local production of military hardware, ammunition and other strategic equipment.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Matawalle held bilateral talks with the Czech Republic’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Jaromír Zuna (Rtd), focusing on ways to deepen cooperation and enhance DICON’s manufacturing capabilities.
The minister specifically requested Czech support in establishing an ammunition production line in Nigeria and sought technology transfer in key areas, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other military hardware.
In response, the Czech Defence Minister assured Nigeria of his country’s readiness to support DICON’s growth through collaboration and technology transfer.
Matawalle is also expected to tour several defence and security industrial facilities in the Czech Republic as part of efforts to explore opportunities for further cooperation in defence production.
