SAFETY FOR ALL
TBY talks to Ade Ogundeyin, CEO of Proforce Defence Limited, on the company's achievements in manufacturing defense vehicles, its staffing solutions, and its work to modernize the Nigerian armed forces.
BIOGRAPHY
Ade Ogundeyin holds a BSc from the University of Lagos. He is the Group Managing Director of O’la-Kleen Holdings Limited, a conglomerate in Nigeria with an international presence in the US, Kuwait, China, Ghana, and Liberia. In his pursuit of the company’s corporate vision for sustainable national and global presence, O’la Kleen Holdings Limited has over the last 25 years diversified with the establishment of several other companies, including Proforce Defence Limited.What have been the main achievements of the company since 2008?
Proforce was established in 2008 as a defense solutions provider. It has grown from strength to strength and we have continuously collaborated with the public sector as our main client. We have been able to export our services to other governments such as Rwanda, Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Our vehicles are of international standard, and we have a wide range of armored vehicles. One of our strengths is our partnership with experts all over the world in Israel, South Africa, and the US. With all this knowledge we built our own facility in Nigeria to produce armored personnel carriers and other military-grade apparatus. We recently signed an MoU with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to start producing fighter jets, warships, drones, armored aerial vehicles, and mine-resistant ambush personnel carriers, too. We started with mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles, which have a gross vehicle weight of 19 tons each. In the area of ammunitions, we partner with companies from South Africa to assemble those ones in Nigeria, too. President Muhammadu Buhari wants the military industry to take off immediately; hence, Proforce is partnering with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to push that forward.
How would you describe the Proforce Defense manufacturing facilities?
We have a facility where we build armored personnel carriers (APCs) in Ogun State, and we produce about 40 vehicles per month, or a total of around 480 vehicles a year. A second facility in Port Harcourt produces about 15 vehicles per month. We have another facility that we are putting together in Abuja and another in Katsina with which we are collaborating with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to produce about 20 vehicles per month.
How do you train and retain your staff and foster innovation?
We send some of our staff abroad for training. We have a challenge with human capital but all we need to do is continue to change hands until we get the right set of people. Expatriates should not be the solution because after having them for two years they typically want to leave. Also, if a company pays salaries in dollars, the cost compared to our Nigerian workforce is high. Instead, we prefer to train Nigerians well and bring down costs. In terms of R&D, this is the backbone of the company. We have an R&D unit and that is completely devoted to innovation. For example, we looked at new designs for APCs and continue to invest a certain percentage of our profits every year in R&D.
How does Proforce Defence contribute to the modernization of Nigeria's armed forces?
We are a versatile company and have worked hard to include the armed forces of Nigeria in the majority of the things we do. We have regular interactions and incorporate a number of the things from their own practical experience. For example, the Nigerian armed forces are at risk of overheating due to the high temperatures in the north east; APCs from abroad sometimes cannot cope with the heat and run into problems with their tires. We have been able to incorporate solutions to these challenges into our own vehicles and come up with a truly Nigerian vehicle.
How would you describe the business environment for international investors looking to come to Nigeria?
The business environment in Nigeria is encouraging. Sometimes what we see and read on the news is only one side of the coin. Most Nigerians understand that the news from this country is often bad news and the opportunities and advantages are never publicized. Nigeria is a secure country. Of course, there are some parts that are not safe; however, on the whole, it is the place to be because there are many opportunities in Nigeria. It is our job to make sure that security is not an issue.
SAFETY FOR ALL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Yes Program
Providing The Tools
Unemployment is a big problem is Nigeria. The federal government has set a target of creating 3.5 million jobs for these people within the next three years through the federal government's Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program (YeS program) and the N-power Program.
read articleInterview
Oscar N. Onyema, OON, CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE)
TBY talks to Oscar N. Onyema, OON, CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), on creating the second-largest platform in Africa, the advantages for indigenous companies to list, and how to institutionalize the fight against corruption.
read articleInterview
Chief Tunde J. Afolabi, Chairman & CEO, Amni International Petroleum Development Company Limited
TBY talks to Chief Tunde J. Afolabi, Chairman & CEO of Amni International Petroleum Development Company Limited, on reaping the most from low oil prices, the impact of new regulatory measures, and the challenges of deep-water exploration.
read articleInterview
Guido D’Aloisio, Managing Director, Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited
TBY talks to Guido D'Aloisio, Managing Director of Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, on the importance of Nigerian operations to the company as a whole and the significance of its joint venture with Dangote.
read articleInterview
Aisha Abubakar, Minister, State for Industry, Trade & Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Aisha Abubakar, Minister of State for Industry, Trade & Investment, on tackling challenges in the manufacturing sector, boosting industrialization, and its work on promoting education for girls.
read articleInterview
Innocent O. Ezuma, Executive Chairman , Eta-Zuma Group (W/A) Limited
TBY talks to Innocent O. Ezuma, Executive Chairman of Eta-Zuma Group (W/A) Limited, on its projects to reduce the country's energy deficit, diversifying into mining, and the opportunities in the steel sector.
read articleInterview
Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
TBY talks toUmar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on boosting local broadband penetration, its commitment to regulatory excellence, and cooperating with regional operators.
read articleInterview
Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Minister, Transportation
TBY talks to Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, on the investments being made in fortifying and developing transport infrastructure, the role Nigeria's transport sector will play in ECOWAS, and the ministry's wider ambitions for its legacy.
read articleInterview
Alaba-Foluso Abayomi, CEO, Richmond Marine & Offshore Logistics Limited
TBY talks to Alaba-Foluso Abayomi, CEO of Richmond Marine & Offshore Logistics Limited, on expanding outward from Lagos and Port Harcourt, the role new legislation can play, and the need for partners beyond the oil and gas industry.
read articleInterview
Capt. Muhtar Shaibu Usman, Director General , Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)
TBY talks to Capt. Muhtar Shaibu Usman, Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on the steps being taken to raise standards and the opportunities those steps yield for investors.
read articleFocus: Niger Bridge
Bridge In Troubled Waters
Construction on the Niger Bridge has been delayed due to social and economic issues, but the project's economic importance means that the government is working to resolve these issues and build what will be one of Nigeria's most important thoroughfares.
read articleInterview
Vinay B. Mahtani, GMD & CEO , Churchgate
TBY talks to Vinay B. Mahtani, GMD & CEO of Churchgate, on the status of the WTC luxury residential and commercial towers, challenges facing investors, the potential held by the capital city, and where that will lead Churchgate in 2017.
read articleInterview
Paul M. Gbededo, Managing Director, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN)
TBY talks to Paul M. Gbededo, Managing Director of Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), on the steps being taken in various fields to support the government's diversification ambitions and to provide Nigeria with its food needs.
read articleInterview
Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, Managing Director, Nordica Fertility Centre
TBY talks to Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, Managing Director of Nordica Fertility Centre, on the challenges facing the industry and what its center is doing to educate people, raise standards, and ultimately make Nigeria the region's medical tourism destination.
read articleInterview
Dr. Olasimbo Davidson, VP Clinical Administration & Operations, The Olive Multi-Specialist Hospitals
TBY talks to Dr. Olasimbo Davidson, VP Clinical Administration & Operations of The Olive Multi-Specialist Hospitals, on the gaps in healthcare provision, strategies to effectively plug them, and the role education will have to play in the future.
read articleInterview
Abiola Monehin, Managing Director, Bulwark Vault and Safes Deposits
TBY talks to Abiola Monehin, Managing Director of Bulwark Vault and Safes Deposits, on changing attitudes to financial safety and security, the lack of insurance in the market, and the role financial savvy can play in empowering Nigerian women.
read article
