The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has said that local production of uniforms for the nation’s military and paramilitary personnel will commence under a public-private partnership (PPP) joint venture from January 2023.
The PPP project is to be implemented by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and Sur Corporate Wear Nigeria Limited.
The project collaboration, which would span a concession period of 20 years, will facilitate the production of uniforms for the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Defence and other military and paramilitary organisations in the country.
The Director General of ICRC, Michael Ohiani, who gave this hint at a parley, charged all stakeholders in the project to resolve all issues hindering the completion of the factory and report back to the Commission within one week.
At the rescheduled meeting chaired by the commission’s Director of the Contract Compliance Department (CCD), Jobson Ewalefoh, the Acting Managing Director urged the stakeholders to ensure the project was completed within the stipulated time frame.
Ohiani described the project as very important to the nation as it will address the problem of capital flight, create over 920 jobs and give the country a sense of pride for producing its own uniforms locally.
He pointed out that as the project gains traction, the DICON-Sur joint venture was expected to begin to source all its raw materials locally.
He said: “The fact that we produce our military and paramilitary uniforms locally is a thing of pride to all of us. It is a pride that we all must uphold. Sudan is producing their own military kits, and I know DICON Sur can do it if they have the right support.”
The infrastructure development expert assured all stakeholders that the ICRC, as part of its regulatory functions, would liaise with all the relevant government agencies to fast track the ongoing process of securing approval for off takers when production begins in January 2023.
According to him, going forward, the commission, through its Contract Compliance Department (CCD), will make the PPP project a priority and as such monitor its progress until it is completed.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Sur Corporate Wear Nigeria Limited, Burhan Can Karabulut, commended the management of ICRC for intervening and ensuring that the project was not aborted.
Karabulut, who also commended the investors involved in the project, noted that the intervention of the ICRC and the meeting of stakeholders that followed the intervention had assured timely release of funds for the completion of the project.
He disclosed that the company had so far executed the project to about 68 percent completion stage, adding that the remaining funds for the project would be released soon so as to meet the completion goal and time line
Karabulut assured: “If the work resumes in July, it is assumed that we can start commissioning processes by January 2023, although it will not be 100 percent production.”
He, however, pointed out that the only reason the commencement of the production could be stalled was the approval of the designs for the uniforms, which were yet to be given, stressing the need for stakeholders to work and ensure that the approval is secured.
