However you look at it, for Nigeria to secure her borders effectively we need to get Boeing to come and start manufacturing Apache helicopters locally 

Ayo Akinfe 

[1] As things stand, Nigeria’s biggest security challenge remains that she cannot secure her northern borders. A lot of AK47s from looted Libyan armouries that got pillaged after Muamer Gaddafi fell, have found their way into Nigeria 

[2] Because our northern borders with Niger Republic, Cameroon, Chad and Benin Republic are so porous, we have something like 6m illegal Kalashnikovs in Nigeria today. Policing these borders to stop the incessant flow of assault rifles into the country is paramount if we want any modicum of security in the country

[3] Anywhere you go in the world today, the Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter is establishing itself as an effective border guard. It has also become the primary attack helicopter of multiple nations, including Greece, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates

[4] In the Middle East in particular, the Apache has been used to great effect. Israel uses the Apache in its military conflicts in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. British and Dutch Apaches have seen deployments in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, the key as far as Nigeria is concerned is that the Apache has been built under license in the United Kingdom as the AgustaWestland Apache

[5] Nigeria does not have any company that can manufacture helicopters so we really have no choice other than to ask Boeing to come and open a manufacturing facility in the country. It is delusional and naive to think we can go and purchase military hardware on the open market when we need it in the quantities we want, at the price we can afford 

[6] Britain’s armed forces have about 67 Apache helicopters, while India has about 22. Nigeria will need at least a dozen Apache helicopters to man her entire northern borders and such an order simply cannot be fulfilled by an external supplier 

[7] One great thing about the Apache is that it allows for low level reconnaissance in a way that planes cannot. Its Gatling guns also provide for rapid fire on targets on the ground 

[8] I am not surprised Ukraine has asked for a few but alas, they cost £70m each, so Britain has declined the offer to supply them. If we manufacture and assemble them in Nigeria, however, we should be able to produce them for about £10m at the most 

[9] Our international friends like the US, UK, European Union, etc, all keep telling us how they want to help rid Nigeria of terrorism. It is time for them to put their money where their mouths are. Our next president should challenge them to subsidise the opening of a Boeing manufacturing facility in Nigeria 

[10] Given they we also need to replace practically our entire fleet of domestic aircraft and need to find aeroplanes for this proposed new national carrier, getting Boeing into Nigeria is simply a must. I cannot think of one investor we need more desperately in Nigeria!