MEDIATRACNET
Local production of uniforms for its military and paramilitary personnel is to begin from January 2023, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has said.
The project is a public-private partnership (PPP) joint venture between the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and Sur Corporate Wear Nigeria Limited.
The DICON-Sur collaboration which would span a concession period of 20 years, would be responsible for producing uniforms for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Defence and other military and paramilitary organisations in the country.
The Acting Director General of ICRC, Michael Ohiani, 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’s period.
At the rescheduled meeting chaired by the Director of the Contract Compliance Department (CCD) in the ICRC, Jobson Ewalefoh, all stakeholders were urged to ensure the project was completed within the stipulated time frame.
The Director said the project was very important to the nation as it would curb capital flight, create over 920 jobs and give the country a sense of pride for producing its own uniforms locally.
He said as the project progresses, the DICON-Sur joint venture was expected to begin to source all its raw materials from within Nigeria.
“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,” he said.
He assured all stakeholders that the ICRC as part of its regulatory function 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.
He hinted that going forward; the ICRC through its Contract Compliance Department (CCD) would make the DICON-Sure Project a priority and as such monitor its progress until it was completed.
He pledged that the ICRC would continue to intervene to make PPP projects operate smoothly in the country
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 hitch-free.
Karabulut also commended the investors for the involvement, saying their intervention of the ICRC and the meeting of stakeholders that ensued, the investorS had agreed to release funds for the completion of the project.
He said that the company had so far taken 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.
“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 said.
He however said 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, and as such the company cannot begin to source for its raw materials for production.
“Without the approval, the production would not begin”, he said.
