The Nigerian Army has taken delivery of 15 Vanquisher Light Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), locally manufactured to strengthen operational capacity and promote homegrown defence technology.
The development was announced in a statement issued late Wednesday by Captain Jafiada Chinda, Public Relations Officer of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
At the handover ceremony, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Bamidele Alabi, reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to advancing indigenous defence innovation as a key strategy for improving operational effectiveness and tackling insurgency. He described the delivery as a major milestone in Nigeria’s quest for self-reliance in military hardware production.
According to the COAS, platforms such as the Vanquisher Light APC are tailored to Nigeria’s security needs, enhancing combat readiness and enabling effective responses to emerging threats. He stressed that local production of military equipment would reduce capital flight, stimulate economic growth, and reposition the Armed Forces towards greater self-sufficiency.
The APCs were produced by DICON in collaboration with Vanquish Industries Limited and the Command Engineering Depot.
Shuaibu urged DICON to sustain its momentum in research, development, and production of high-quality military hardware capable of meeting global standards.
In his remarks, DICON Director-General, Major General B.I. Alaya, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support and confidence in the corporation as a driver of Nigeria’s military-industrial development. He also commended the COAS for his consistent backing, which he said was crucial to the project’s success, while encouraging other security agencies to adopt indigenous defence products to accelerate military-industrial growth.
By Emmanuel Obisue, Abuja
