Nigeria imports 1,500 armoured vehicles yearly ! – Proforce boss

Why are armoured vehicles generally expensive?

It is so because of ballistic steel. The cost of ballistic steel is enormous. We are talking about steel of about 6.5 millimetre thickness. We are talking about adding a weight of at least 1,000 kilos to a vehicle. The suspension has to be reinforced, which comes all the way from Australia. All these things are imported. But, with time, as the new automotive policy gains ground, we will start producing these things in Nigeria. That is the benefit of the new automotive policy.

Armoured vehicles are certainly heavy; how do you manage weight problem?

That is why when you want to armour a vehicle, we suggest that the engine capacity should be a minimum of 4.6 litres; that is Landcruiser and above; so, there will be a lot of power and torque to move the vehicle very well. Apart from that, it must have a reinforced suspension. Moreover, we always advise you don’t go more than 100Km to 120km per hour. Above that, it is a bit dangerous, because the vehicle is very heavy and then you need to be trained on how to drive an armoured vehicle. It is not the same way you drive other vehicles.

Nigeria is said to be among the top four countries importing armoured vehicles in the world. Does this worry you, especially Nigeria being in the same group with Iran and Afghanistan that are known for violence?

Yes, it is a major concern. Insecurity is a major concern. But one thing I will say is that Nigeria is not isolated when it comes to this. Don’t forget that we recently transited from military to civilian rule. We are still trying to find our feet under the civilian rule.  All these things add up. We are having another election next year. Politics in this country is a bit of do-or-die. A lot of people just feel that they will be insecure. So, they want to protect themselves. That is one reason.

The other reason is the level of threat to life in the northern area. I am talking about the Boko Haram issue. Unfortunately, the situation is escalating; people feel threatened in the north, and it is even spreading to the South. This is the reason why people feel they have to be protected. Armed robbery is also a factor.

How many armoured vehicles are imported into the country every year?

When you talk about the normal passenger vehicles, I think it is about 500 and 800 in a year. There are Armoured Personnel Carriers imported by the Police and the Customs. By the time you add the ones imported by the military, you will be talking about 1,500 in a year.

Why did you opt for armoured vehicles business?

The state of insecurity has been on the increase. When you look at armed robbery, you will see that it is on a high level. I was in Kuwait sometime ago and people were looking for a company that would market their products. But I did not want to be a go-between. I wanted to be a manufacturer. So, we teamed up with some Colombians to set up Proforce in 2008. That was actually how we started the company.

And the reason we founded the company, like I said, was the high level of insecurity in the country and all over the world.

Why did you prefer manufacturing to importing?

I have passion for innovation. As an engineer, I do not believe that trading is the way forward. Engineers believe that trading does not build the economy of any country; it is through innovative manufacturing and application of the latest technology. Manufacturing is the heartbeat of any economy; without manufacturing, the economy will be stagnant and may collapse under global market pressures. Trading is just a short-term engagement; manufacturing is long-term.

You can imagine the amount of joy you have when you see your products in other countries all over the world. It enhances Nigeria’s good image all over the world.

What exactly do you produce in your plant, and can the standard be compared with similar products elsewhere in the world?

We armour sport utility vehicles. We make a lot of tactical vehicles, cash-in-transit vans; infantry combat vehicles, armoured patrol boats, Unmanned Arial Vehicles and architectural armouring. We are now putting together a prototype military tank. Majority of these vehicles are second to none when you look at the quality. We have brought in expatriates that have many years of experience in armouring. These are people who were the top guys where they were working before. They have transferred the technology to Nigerians who are coming up seriously fast.

I can assure you that our products are just as good as all the products that are imported into Nigeria. Moreover, all defence products manufacturers import raw materials from the same select group of companies. For instance, we source for glass from the same world leading armoured glass company in Peru; steel from the same company.

We have independently tested the different parts. They are all tested in ballistic laboratories in Germany and we are putting together a process of taking the vehicle as a whole for testing in Germany too. Apart from that, even the drive of our vehicles is different; because of our environment, the suspensions are made to suit our roads.

What kind of support have you been getting from government?

Proforce has been recognised by government. In fact, there was a time the President sent a delegation of all the security outfits within the Presidency to come and look at what we are doing. At different times, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, and the Minister of State in the ministry have been to the plant. The military has been there. Commissioners of police of different states have also been there, and they all appreciated what we were doing and were impressed. Not only that, the Federal Government has just come out with the new automotive policy as part of the transformation agenda. The automotive policy is the best thing to ever happen to this country. Look at a country like Iran where the auto industry contributes 10 per cent to the GDP of that country. That is what is going to happen in Nigeria. The auto policy will transform this country completely into a manufacturing nation.

Look at financing, the Federal Government has now provided an intervention fund for manufacturing. This fund is one that is accessed easily.