South African defence firm, Paramount Group, has called for partnership with the Nigerian army on the procurement of defence equipment to enhance its capabilities while pledging to establish training facilities in the country.
Senior Vice President of the Group, Mr. Eric Ichikowitz, made the call when he paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai at Army headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
Ichikowitz said that the visit was to introduce to the army the variety of weaponry capability in its inventory which will assist in the fight against insurgency and other debilitating security threats facing the country.
He listed several of the weaponry particularly the range of armoured personnel carrier and armoured offensive as well as defensive vehicles capable of shielding troops from mines attacks and other defence capabilities.
He noted that the company which has about 39 years experience in military hardware production, had been working in partnership with some sister security agencies in Nigeria in the area of training and equipment upgrade which will also apply to the Nigerian army.
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“The purpose of the visit is to see how the company can work with the army to enhance their local capabilities,” he said.
In his response, the COAS who was represented by Lt.-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, Chief of Policy and Plans, Army, commended the delegation for the visit and assured that the army authorities would engage the company further to identify areas of possible partnership.
He said that the main interest of the army was to see how it can deepen its research and development locally to enhance its capabilities pointing out that the army was looking forward to actualizing the Nigerian army aviation through partnerships in terms of the development of its facilities, infrastructure and platform.
present at the occasion were the Chief of Training and Operation, Major General Enobong Udoh, Chief of Logistics, Major General Uniugbe, Chief of Military Intelligence, Major General SA Adebayo, Acting Provost Marshal, Army, Brig General S Ahmed, Coordinator, Nigerian Army Aviation, Btrig General Odoba, Acting Director of Plans, Brig General BO Sawyer, Acting Director, Policy, Brig General Adesina and the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col Sagir Musa.
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