COAS Commissions Army Vehicle Manufacturing Company in Kaduna

Oru Leonard
The the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TY Buratai,on Saturday 26th January 2019, commissioned the newly established Nigerian Army Vehicles Manufacturing Company (NAVMC) and the take off of the production of the prototype of the light and heavy infantry vehicles at Rigachikun, Kaduna State.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the new establishment, Major General VO Ezugwu, thanked the Chief of Army Staff for the foresight of creating the company and believing in their ability. He also stated that the marked an indelible milestone in the history of the Nigerian Army’s march towards self-reliance in the production and maintenance of Armoured Fighting Vehicles and other classes of vehicles as over the years the Nigerian Army have relied on importation of such vehicles thereby spending huge foreign exchange which in turn depletes capital allocations.
He assured that the company has assembled a team of formidable young Nigerian professionals in the automobile design and engineering to partner with the NAVMC to achieve its mandate. He said that the vision of the NAVMC is to promote Nigerian Army’s indigenizaton policy through self-sustenance in armoured and soft skin vehicles. He went further to state that already they have commenced work in that direction.
The event also featured facility tour of Nigerian Army Vehicles Manufacturing Company production line, Which include NAC-V production line, B vehicles assembly plant, Fitter machine plant, Engine overhaul shop, Engine testing bay, Fabrication, Painting and Spray shop as well as Foundary and Metal Smith shop. The COAS also commissioned some refurbished A and B vehicles and other equipment resuscitated by the NAVMC.
Present at the historic occasion were Honourable Yusuf Zailani, Majority leader, Kaduna State House of Assembly, the Chairman, North East Development Commission and former Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General PC Tarfa (rtd), the current Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, Principal Staff Officers from Defence and Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders and Commandants of the various Nigerian Army training institutions and the representative of the Emir of Zazzau and other dignitaries, as well as officers and soldiers, community leaders and members of Rigachikun community. In fact, the visibly elated members of the host community, instantly decided to crown the Chief of Army Staff as the Garkuwan Rigachikun.

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