The Nigerian newspaper This Day Live, citing the chief of policy and plans of the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Major General Lamidi Adeosun, notes that the China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation, known as Norinco, won the military tender because of the reliability of its equipment, as well as due to the fact that Chinese vehicles are equipped with the latest technology and weaponry.
The first batch of armoured vehicles delivered to Nigeria includes VT-4 tanks, a new generation of battle tanks with a range of over 500 kilometres, wheeled new generation self-propelled ST1 lightweight tanks, and 122mm SH2 self-propelled howitzers. Nigeria previously received the first set of spare parts and supplies for this equipment, which was delivered in 15 40-foot shipping containers.
According to the Nigerian newspaper, Chinese armoured vehicles are customised for the specific conditions in Nigeria. The weapons are primarily intended for use in the northeast of the country to combat attacks by the Boko Haram terror group. This is the region where Nigeria shares borders with Chad and Cameroon.
China's assistance in strengthening the technical capacity of the Nigerian Army shows the high level of interstate relations, says Liu Qinghai, a director of the Centre for African Economic Studies at the Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University.
“There are several reasons why China is chosen as a partner in military-technical cooperation in Africa. First of all, China offers an excellent price-quality ratio for its weaponry. For example, the VT-4 third-generation battle tank has high manoeuvrability, good protection and powerful weapons. These vehicles were exported to Thailand and were highly appreciated by the Royal Court. It can be said that they have good quality and moderate price”, the expert believes.
At the same time, China offers good after-sales service, timely delivery, and does not attach political conditions to a deal, Liu Qinghai notes.
“For example, China provides flexible maintenance services and trains Nigerian soldiers on how to operate the equipment. Chinese consultants also come to Nigeria to assist with training”, he adds.
The Chinese expert believes that military-technical cooperation between China and Nigeria has been successfully developing due to the friendly nature of Sino-Nigerian relations, noting that Nigeria is one of the friendliest African countries for China.
“According to the surveys, 70 percent of Nigerians have friendly feelings towards China and appreciate Sino-Nigerian cooperation. Nigeria has the largest Chinese language newspaper in Africa. The domestic market is dominated by Chinese goods, and for Nigerians, China is the most popular tourist destination. Cooperation between the two sides is mutually beneficial and extremely useful”, the expert concludes.
Speaking to Sputnik, Nikolai Shcherbakov, an analyst at the Centre for African Studies of the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), says that China's participation in the rearmament of the Nigerian Army is logical as this process began long ago.
“The value of the new contract is not huge but it is a message of renewed commitment to cooperation. Chinese weaponry is of decent quality, its decisive advantage is its price. Nigeria cannot afford to buy expensive pieces of weaponry. Chinese weapons are cheaper than Western ones, but they are almost as effective. At the same time, they are easy to use and maintain”, the expert says.
Shcherbakov stresses that this is important given the specifics and level of training of the Nigerian government's military units, which are comprised mainly of contract soldiers.
“Nigeria sees an opportunity to strengthen internal security and public stability in its military-technical cooperation with China. Beijing, for its part, is interested in protecting its economic interests in Nigeria and maintaining its presence in the huge Nigerian market. It does not want to lose this market due to internal instability in that country. Nigeria is one example of how China operates in Africa. If it comes to a country, it will be solid and lasting”, the Russian expert notes.
The humanitarian cargo includes personal protective equipment, protective masks, medical protective suits, safety goggles, gloves, infrared thermometers, and ventilators. At the same time, a team of experts from China provides advice and guidance to Nigerian medical specialists.
