The federal government has again fostered a relationship with the Turkish government to secure Nigeria’s borders against the diverse challenges spanning counter-terrorism, banditry and border security, which the nation has been battling with.
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This partnership, which is billed to cover acquiring equipment ranging from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to offshore patrol vessels, is because the federal government has discovered a dependable ally in Turkey to fulfil its UAV requirements.
This is even as security experts have acknowledged that Turkey’s reputation in the realm of UAV, or drone, technology is well-established, with its domestically developed UAVs gaining international acclaim for their performance in various conflict zones.
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the plan to collaborate with Turkey when he played host to a delegation led by the Turkish vice president, of Ankara Chamber of Commerce, Dr Ömer Çağlar Yilnaz, in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo expressed the optimism that the Nigeria-Turkey partnership when kickstarted, would be of mutual benefit for both countries as they will exchange ideas, technologies and even data transfer which is key.
He was quoted as saying, “It is going to be a productive relationship. We will take it very seriously and hope we can set today as a foundation for greater things to come in future.
On his part, the guest, Dr Ömer Çağlar Yilnaz, thanked the minister for granting them an audience and expressed their readiness to strengthen the current state of bilateral relations between Turkey and Nigeria in the fields of security, defence, and aerospace.
He said, “I want to express Turkey’s interest in strengthening these ties and would like to explore potential areas of collaboration, such as technology transfer, joint ventures or training programmes.”
He also extended an invitation to the minister to attend and participate in the SEDEC 2024, a programme which he said he strongly believes would be beneficial to Nigeria.
The SEDEC 2024 is Turkey’s Homeland and Border Security Conference and Exhibition (EXPO) billed to be held between the 21st to 23rd of May 2024 at the Congresium, in Ankara, Turkey.
Recall that in 2023, Turkish defence firm Asisguard signed a $36.5 million contract with Nigeria to supply a border and internal security system. The contract was inked in May and covered armed UAVs, vehicles, surveillance cameras and related technology. Other Turkish defence companies who were also involved in the project, were Havelsan, STM, and Nurol Makina.
Asisguard provided Installation and systems integration while Havelsan provided command and control software and BAHA UAVs; Nurol Makina supplied Yoruk 4×4 armoured vehicles; and STM supplied its TOGAN UAVs.
CEO and General Manager of Asisguard was once quoted to hint that the Nigerian border security contract was the result of two years of effort, and was clinched because the partnership with Nurol Makina, Havelsan and STM allowed for the supply of a complete solution. He said the contract will lead to others in Africa and should give momentum to sales on the continent for the next decade.
Turkey is supplying both fixed and rotary-wing UAVs for Nigeria. The rotary wing side is catered to by STM’s TOGAN, designed for tactical-level reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence (ISR) missions and equipped with various sensors, including a camera and a thermal imager.
TOGAN has a range of 6.5 to 10 kilometres, a top speed of 72 km/h, a maximum takeoff weight of 7 kg and an operating altitude of 1,000 metres.
Havelsan last also confirmed then that the export of its BAHA ‘Sub-Cloud Unmanned Aerial Vehicle’ to an undisclosed African country, which is understood to be Nigeria. BAHA, a small fixed-wing UAV, is tailored for tactical-level reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence missions.
It can be equipped with an array of sensors, including a camera and thermal imager. The system has a range of up to 80 kilometres with an endurance of six hours with a petrol engine (up to two hours with an electric motor). BAHA can also carry a payload of up to 5 kg.
