Nigeria has struck a major agreement with a leading Chinese defence company to begin local production of military-grade ammunition, deepening the West African nation’s military ties with Beijing.
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The deal, signed during Nigerian Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle’s visit to China earlier this month, covers the construction of ammunition production lines, maintenance and upgrades of military hardware, servicing of battle tanks and military engineering services.
It also involves technology transfers and training for Nigerian defence personnel.
While Nigeria’s Defence Ministry did not name the Chinese company in its May 6 statement, photos showed officials reviewing equipment from China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), a state-owned arms manufacturer.
A high-level Norinco delegation visited Nigeria in March to discuss local arms production through collaboration and technology transfers.
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The partnership marks the latest step in Nigeria’s growing military cooperation with China, which began in the mid-2010s when Nigeria turned to Beijing after failing to secure needed defence equipment from the Obama administration during the peak of Boko Haram’s insurgency.