Nigeria receives China-made armed reconnaissance drones

The Nigerian air force has reportedly received a batch of China's Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance drones, once again showcasing China's advantages in the international drone market, including mature technologies, combat-proven results and reasonable prices, analysts said.

Citing a senior Nigerian Air Force official on Tuesday, Janes Defense Weekly reported on the same day that Nigeria has received a pair of Wing Loong II drones developed by Chinese state-owned arms firm Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, was quoted by the report as saying that Nigeria has joined China and the UAE as the only countries operating the Wing Loong II unmanned combat aerial vehicle.

The two Nigerian Air Force Wing Loong IIs, which can stay airborne for 31 hours in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mode and 26 hours in offensive roles, will add significant value to counter-insurgency and anti-banditry operations, the official said.

A Chinese military expert told the Global Times on condition of anonymity that the arms sale will further open up the global military drone market for Chinese defense firms, particularly in Africa.

China's drones have unique advantages on the international arms market, due to mature drone technologies, complete systems for setups, a variety of types and sizes of drones, much lower prices compared to Western products, and complete service chains including training and maintenance, the expert said.

Wang Ya'nan, a military aviation expert and chief editor of Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Wednesday that China's armed reconnaissance drones have seen real combat in regional conflict.

In small scale conflicts, Chinese drones have carried out accurate reconnaissance and precision strikes on targets even in complicated terrain and weather conditions, Wang said, noting that this makes Chinese drones combat-proven.

Users of Chinese drones can rapidly boost their combat capabilities in domestic security issues and in regional conflicts, Wang said.

Developed by AVIC's Chengdu Aircraft Design & Research Institute, the Wing Loong II drone is a long endurance armed reconnaissance unmanned aerial system capable of firing dozens of weapons including missiles and bombs, the Xinhua News Agency reported. It is often compared to the US-made MQ-9 Reaper drone.

The Wing Long series also includes the original Wing Loong I and the upgraded Wing Loong I-D. As of December 2018, AVIC has exported 100 Wing Loong series drones since 2010, Xinhua said in a separate report at that time. More drones are believed to have been exported over the past two years.

By Liu Xuanzun 

Global Times

Nigeria's First Feature-Length Animated Film for Release Dec 11

To help children and families deal with the challenges of 2020, Hot Ticket Productions, a Nigerian mass media company involved in the production of movies and other forms of entertainment, has announced the date for the premiere of Nigeria's first feature-length animation film, Ladybuckit and the Motley Mopsters (LBMM).

The movie will start showing in cinemas across Nigeria and internationally on Friday, December 11, 2020.

It will feature the voices of some of Nigeria's finest actors - Kalu Ikeagwu, Patrick Doyle, Bimbo Akintola, Bola Edwards, and others. It will also feature fresh voices of 11 and 13-year-old Jessica and David Edwards. Popular music producer and songwriter, Clement 'DJ Klem' Kponu and versatile film composer, Ava Momoh are the brains behind LBMM's original 14-tracker album.

The CEO/founder of Hot Ticket Productions and the film's Executive Producer and Producer, Blessing Amidu, who reiterated the importance of an exhilarating family-focused entertainment during this moment in history said: "This year has been a tough one for the world. Families have had to deal with a pandemic, economic challenges and civil unrests. As we approach the end of the year, it is important to provide some succour and means of escape and release for children and the entire family. We strongly believe that entertainment is a powerful tool for this.

"We hope the fantastic universe of Ladybuckit and the Motley Mopsters will serve as a source of joy and laughter for Nigerian families and millions of people around the world, during the festive season and for many years to come."

According to her, "it took 30 incredible talents and two years to make this movie. We are truly proud of the production and are privileged to have been able to tell a great Nigerian story."

LBMM is valued at approximately $1 million. Since the release of the first teaser in August 2020, interest for the movie has been steadily growing, especially among fans of animation, cartoons and Nollywood watchers.

"With scenes showing notable Nigerian landmarks and historical places such as Oloibiri, a community in Bayelsa State, where crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity in 1956, it is expected that parts of the movie will serve as a flashback to Nigeria's early years.

Bisi Adetayo, the movie's Director also served as the lead animator. He referenced the power in the LBMM story, saying, "we want to take everyone's imagination on a ride. It was a thrill to have incredible actors voice a powerful story and just let our creativity run free."

According to PwC, the Nigerian entertainment and media industry will be worth $10 billion by 2023, while Forbes reports that animation is currently fueling the emergence of a creative economy across the African continent.

With the release of Ladybuckit and the Motley Mopsters, Nigeria and its abundant supply of extraordinary talents is taking its rightful place at the forefront of this creative explosion.

All Africa

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Nigerian Billionaire Plans to Dig Platinum Mine in Zimbabwe

Bravura Holdings Ltd., owned by Nigerian billionaire Benedict Peters, has $1 billion available for the development of a platinum mine in Zimbabwe, its country manager said.

The 3,000 hectare (7,413-acre) concession where it plans to dig the mine is in Selous, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare and close to existing platinum mines.

“From where we are now, we will go to resource definition, after that we will go to resource modeling, after mine development and then mine construction,” Lionel Mhlanga, Bravura’s manager in the southern African country, said in an interview at the mine on Nov. 6. “Those are all things that should happen in the next 18 months.”

Bravura is one of a number of little-known companies that have secured platinum concessions in Zimbabwe as the government seeks to kick start its stagnant economy. Still, established platinum miners haven’t announced plans to expand their operations. While Zimbabwe has the world’s third-largest platinum group metal reserves, investors have been deterred by frequent changes to mining laws and currency policies.

In addition to Bravura, Russian and Cypriot companies have announced plans to invest in Zimbabwean platinum mines.

Peters owns Aiteo Eastern E & P Company Ltd., Nigeria’s biggest domestic oil producer, but has little experience in mining.

Still, the group also intends to explore mining lithium, rare earth minerals and tin in Zimbabwe, Mhlanga said.

It’s also seeking to mine cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, copper in Zambia, gold in Ghana and iron ore in Guinea, he said. Namibia and Botswana could also be options for the company, he said.

BNN

6 Nigerians Sentenced for Funding Boko Haram Terrorist Group

Six Nigerians are facing prison terms of ten years to life after a federal appeals court in the United Arab Emirates upheld their convictions for funding the terrorist group Boko Haram.

According to The Daily Trust newspaper, the accused were initially tried and convicted last year following their arrest in 2017.

The court in Abu Dhabi Monday sentenced Surajo Abubakar Muhammad and Saleh Yusuf Adamu to life in prison. Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, AbdurRahman Ado Musa, Bashir Ali Yusuf and Muhammad Ibrahim Isa were each given a ten-year sentence.

The newspaper said the court judgement said that between 2015 and 2016, the accused transferred $782,000 from Dubai to Nigeria to benefit Boko Haram even as associates defended their actions, saying there was nothing criminal about the transaction. 

VOA

Nigeria says it has killed Boko Haram militants in airstrike

The Nigerian air force has killed several Boko Haram militants in an airstrike in the northeastern state of Borno, an official said Monday.

Some of the militants’ structures, including a suspected fuel depot, were destroyed in the airstrike on Tumbun Allura, a Boko Haram logistics hub on the fringes of Lake Chad in northern Borno, military spokesman John Enenche said in a statement reaching Xinhua.

The air raid was executed Sunday following credible intelligence reports as well as aerial surveillance missions that identified the location, Enenche said.

“The Nigerian Air Force attack aircraft, dispatched by the Air Task Force to engage the location, scored accurate hits in the target area, resulting in the destruction of the terrorists’ fuel dump,” he said, adding several Boko Haram militants were also killed.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamist state in northeastern Nigeria, extending its attacks to countries in the Lake Chad Basin.

 CGTN