Maduegbunam: No Country Will Transfer Technology to Us for Free

Major General Nnaemeka Maduegbunam, a former Director-General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), has stated that no country will provide Nigeria with technology for free. Maduegbunam emphasized that technology holds value and provides foreign nations an advantage over developing countries like Nigeria. He urged Nigerian leaders to focus on harnessing the expertise and ingenuity of Nigerians to advance the country technologically.

Maduegbunam asserted that Nigeria possesses the necessary brainpower and expertise to develop indigenous technologies capable of addressing its pressing issues. At the launch of his book, "We Can Do It: Towards Nigeria’s Self-Reliance in Science and Technology", Maduegbunam highlighted DICON as an embodiment of the principle that "we can do it."

He recalled how he revitalized DICON with $1 billion after it had been dormant for over 40 years, resulting in the manufacture of indigenous AK-47 rifles, code-named OBJ-06. Maduegbunam also praised the efforts of his successors, especially Major General Victor Ezugwu, who led DICON in producing the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, code-named "Ezugwu".

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, emphasized that the Nigerian military cannot function optimally by relying solely on external solutions. The COAS, represented by the Commander of Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (NAEME) Corps, stressed that the Nigerian Army is actively pursuing home-grown solutions to operational equipment challenges while promoting local capacity, innovation, maintenance, and repair.

The title of Maduegbunam's book, "We Can Do It," mirrors the spirit of self-belief, innovation, and determination needed to overcome obstacles and achieve meaningful progress. It resonates with the Nigerian Army's persistent efforts to develop solutions tailored to their specific operational needs. The book's chairman, Prof. Bathlomew Nnaji, pointed out that Nigeria cannot tackle the high cost of defence equipment and the impact of the rising exchange rate without producing military hardware locally.

Nnaji highlighted that DICON's demonstration of local production's feasibility serves as an example for the military to identify, demonstrate, and develop the capacity to manufacture equipment domestically, potentially encouraging civilian industries to participate through partnerships.