By Kingsley Omonobi, with agency report

THE Federal Government is to set up a Military Industrial Complex in Kaduna through Public Private Partnership initiative to promote research and innovation in the defence sector.

This came as Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai, said one of the reasons why Boko Haram terrorism lasted for so long was the military’s over-reliance on foreign equipment, saying it was a “huge setback to our operations.”

Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai 

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, who spoke yesterday in Abuja, while declaring open the first Nigerian Army Research and Innovation summit, also said his ministry would soon organise a National Conference on Defence industrialisation in the country, which will attract local and international stakeholders.

According to Dan-Ali, the stakeholders are expected to come up with a road map on the military industrial complex.

Dan-Ali said: “Similarly, the Ministry of Defence is also working on partnership between the Defence Corporation of Nigeria, DICON, and some foreign original equipment manufacturers.”