Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, gave the assurance on Tuesday, October 27, during a working visit to the PROFORCE Group office complex in Ogun State. According to a statement issued by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, Shaibu commended the company for its contributions to Nigeria’s domestic defence manufacturing industry.

The Army chief said sustained investment in local manufacturing would help improve the availability of military equipment and strengthen the country’s ability to respond to evolving security challenges. He also highlighted the importance of developing domestic technical expertise and transferring technology to support long-term military capability.

Shaibu reiterated that the Nigerian Army would continue to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s drive for local content development and defence industrialisation. He said strengthening indigenous manufacturing was important to national security and the military’s ability to meet its operational requirements more independently.

In response, PROFORCE Group’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ade Ogundeyin, thanked the Army chief for the visit and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supplying quality defence products that meet the military’s requirements.

Ogundeyin said the company would continue contributing to the development of Nigeria’s local defence industry through the production of reliable equipment.

The visit forms part of wider efforts to deepen cooperation between the Nigerian Army and domestic manufacturers. Greater local production could help reduce reliance on overseas suppliers, strengthen technical capacity and support the development of Nigeria’s defence industrial base.

However, the extent to which local manufacturing can meet the Army’s equipment needs will depend on sustained investment, production capacity, quality assurance and the ability of manufacturers to deliver equipment that meets operational standards.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia