FG contracts Turkish firms to secure Nigerian borders

The Federal Government of Nigeria has engaged Turkish defence companies to mount high powered security around Nigerian borders against criminals infiltrating into the country through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) among other solutions.

The contract with the Turkish firms marks the continuation of a military relationship that has evolved over the years.

The news of the contractual relationship first appeared on an African online defence and security newspaper, defenceweb, Turkish defence firm, saying ASISGUARD was recently awarded a contract, which entails the provision of an integrated border security solution for Nigeria.

The agreement which has already been signed into effect by the Nigerian authority and Turkish firms was underscored the company’s expertise in the field of defence technology and highlights Nigeria’s commitment to bolstering its border security capabilities.
The project includes products for detection, command and control and precautionary/intervention purposes.

At the core of the contract lies ASISGUARD’s highly advanced Songar drones. The unmanned aerial vehicles have garnered international recognition for their exceptional performance and reliability in various defence applications.

Equipped with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, Songar drones are designed to autonomously detect, track, and neutralise targets with utmost precision and efficiency.

However, this was not the first time that Turkish ASISGUARD was awarded a contract in Nigeria. In October last year, the Turkish company supplied at least 10 Songar armed drones to Nigerian counter-terror forces.

The delivery of SONGAR systems to the Nigerian Police Force and Army was completed on September 15, 2022.

In January 2022, Nigeria and Turkey entered talks on defence collaboration in counter-terrorism support as well as the acquisition of various military hardware, which may include attack helicopters, armed drones, and other infantry systems.

Another Turkish company, Havelsan, last month confirmed the export of its BAHA ‘Sub-Cloud Unmanned Aerial Vehicle’ to an undisclosed African country, which is believed to be Nigeria.

In a continued military relationship, Turkey supplied Nigeria with military hardware to support its efforts in combating Boko Haram terrorists and other armed groups and will be delivering six T-129 attack helicopters from Turkish Aerospace Industries, two offshore patrol vessels from Dearsan, and six Bayraktar TB2 UAVs from Baykar.

Recall that in recent years, the Nigerian military has fostered relationships with Turkish defence companies, acquiring equipment ranging from UAVs to offshore patrol vessels.