Biafra Built 3 Planes In 3 Years Why Has Nigeria Not Built One 40 Years After

I don't intent to draw up tribal sentiments but I don't also believe in throwing away the baby with the birth water. I was reading the account of the Biafran war on Wikipedia and discovered that Biafrans built 3 war planes themselves in Gabon which they named "Biafran Babies" during the civil war. Why then has the Nigerian Economy not been able to build a single plane 40 years after the war?

Please constructive response is expected.

PHIPEX:

I don't intent to draw up tribal sentiments but I don't also believe in throwing away the baby with the birth water. I was reading the account of the Biafran war on Wikipedia and discovered that Biafrans built 3 war planes themselves in Gabon which they named "Biafran Babies" during the civil war. Why then has the Nigerian Economy not been able to build a single plane 40 years after the war?

Please constructive response is expected.

Can you provide us with photographic evidence and technological details of the Planes you are talking about please.

Yes I read about it and the older people I know confirmed the same thing. Biafra was very advanced and would have done more. Its sad we lost but I believe its not too late.

I heard the American government told Nigeria to destroy BIafra's labs and factories for weapons. Not sure if it is true or not.

Nigeria have not build one yet because we have people like you alive

I hadn't heard about the planes before today, but thats one more item to research.
Biafra indeed, can be help up as a beacon of what the black man can achieve technologically. So many of the things they managed in their short lifespan leave one awe struck. Here are some:

Ogbunigwe (missile).
Refining of coal for petrol.
Local armoured cars.

When just the 3 above are considered, its hard to conclude the Nigeria is not a disgrace.

Another past glory thread.

Yawn!

At topic:
NOT TRUE. What the Biafrans did was to outfit Swedish single-engine MFI-9B trainers to hold rockets in pods under its wing under the tutelage of Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen.

We modified aircraft from trainer to fighters, from passenger aircraft to bombers.
---Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu
http://www./3Years.htm

Carl Gustaf von Rosen had the planes painted in camouflage colours, fitted with rockets from Matra and proceeded with a band of friends to form a squadron called Babies of Biafra to strike the air fields from which the federal Nigerian Air Force launched their attacks against the civilian population in Biafra. On May 22, 1969, and over the next few days, Von Rosen and his five aircraft launched attacks against Nigerian air fields at Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin and other small airports. The Nigerians were taken by surprise and a number of expensive jets, including a few MiG-17 fighters and three out of Nigeria's six Ilyushin Il-28 bombers, were destroyed on the ground.[2]

The pilots included Lynn Garrison among a group of other mercenaries.[3] Lynn Garrison coordinated the attacks, personally destroying an Ilyushin Il-28 and a MiG-17.

The MiniCOINs saw extensive service during most of the war, including the delivery of food aid drops.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malm%C3%B6_MFI-9

The Nigeria Airforce has built and used for several years now, a light trainer aircraft it dubs the Air Beetle.

Beaf:

So many of the things they managed in their short lifespan leave one awe struck. Here are some:

Ogbunigwe (missile).
Refining of coal for petrol.
Local armoured cars.

I hardly see what the big deal is about these so-called technological "achievements". Certainly it demonstrates resourcefulness in the face of adversity and overwhelming odds, but that is all it is. To hold them up as some major leap in technological development is rather far-fetched and betrays how 40+ years on, we still do not distinguish between the reality and the myth of Biafra.

Beaf:

I hadn't heard about the planes before today, but thats one more item to research.
Biafra indeed, can be help up as a beacon of what the black man can achieve technologically. So many of the things they managed in their short lifespan leave one awe struck. Here are some:

Ogbunigwe (missile).
Refining of coal for petrol.
Local armoured cars.

When just the 3 above are considered, its hard to conclude the Nigeria is not a disgrace.

'Beacon'? Nope. None of these was an 'invention' per se.
I don't think the 'ogbunigwe' was a missile sef.

Den don come again o. You people no dey taya with you lies and attention seeking rubbish like broke ashawo ?.

aletheia:

I hardly see what the big deal is about these so-called technological "achievements". Certainly it demonstrates resourcefulness in the face of adversity and overwhelming odds, but that is all it is. To hold them up as some major leap in technological development is rather far-fetched and betrays how 40+ years on, we still do not distinguish between the reality and the myth of Biafra.

I beg to strongly differ. What you call resourcefulness was the proper matching of brainpower to determination and leadership direction; above all, it the Biafran technological achievements were born out of self-belief. These are all ingredients for technological takeoff all of which the current Nigeria lacks.

Today, JTF bombs and destroys illegal oil refineries rather than standardising and streamlining the practice, yet the whole of Nigeria lacks a single company that builds even rudimentary refineries, we have to go abroad for that. That speaks for our relatively low national self=esteem and absolute lack of can-do attitude, even when the odds are not overwhelming.

funny it seems. they loose everything after the war (please where can I get this book BECAUSE I'M INVOLVED BY DIM OJUWKU)

texazzpete:

'Beacon'? Nope. None of these was an 'invention' per se.
I don't think the 'ogbunigwe' was a missile sef.

The Ogbunigwe was an anti-aircraft missile, it was later employed as a surface to surface missile.

Technological progress can be achieved without inventions. Attitude and self belief are most important, in their absence inventions too will go unrecognised, because the average Nigerian believes only foreigners have the brains and organisation to harness technology.

Today's Nigeria cannot build the simplest of missiles, I wonder why?

Beaf:

The Ogbunigwe was an anti-aircraft missile, it was later employed as a surface to surface missile.

Technological progress can be achieved without inventions. Attitude and self belief are most important, in their absence inventions too will go unrecognised, because the average Nigerian believes only foreigners have the brains and organisation to harness technology.

Today's Nigeria cannot build the simplest of missiles, I wonder why?

Anti - Aircraft?! How!!

I thought it was just a round pipe that was packed with gun-powder and shrapnel and fired!! I even heard that most of the people who fired the Ogbunigwe also lost their lives as well, because firing one was like a suicide mission. So how did such a crude invention become an anti-aircraft missile?

Beaf:

The Ogbunigwe was an anti-aircraft missile, it was later employed as a surface to surface missile.

Technological progress can be achieved without inventions. Attitude and self belief are most important, in their absence inventions too will go unrecognised, because the average Nigerian believes only foreigners have the brains and organisation to harness technology.

Today's Nigeria cannot build the simplest of missiles, I wonder why?

I sincerely doubt that the 'Ogbunigwe' was an anti-aircraft missile. I really doubt that.

As for your 'missile' comment, i'd have to put the blame on the government and their neglect of our educational system. Homeless palestinians are making and firing off Qassam II rockets at israel for over a decade. I'm yet to hear of any missile system that Nigeria has produced. Even the relatively simplistic Katyusha type MLRS system seems to be above our capabilities.

We only started producing our own mortars about a decade and half ago. smh.

Biafra did not build any plane. Even the famed ogbunigbwe was probably no more than a glorified firecracker designed to scare rather than cause a serious damage.

lies

[img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSw1m7ibkz26VohdOfb6XIDxYlrkGoh5Pn3glOUXBfLyLhyIZn1[/img]

@Okija_juju and @Aigbofa
What is it plaguing today's Nigeria that is making us incapable of manufacturing glorified crackers? Our technological backwardness pains me a lot.

Aigbofa:

Biafra did not build any plane. Even the famed ogbunigbwe was probably no more than a glorified firecracker designed to scare rather than cause a serious damage.   

Another cargo in denial.

Beaf:

I hadn't heard about the planes before today, but thats one more item to research.
Biafra indeed, can be help up as a beacon of what the black man can achieve technologically. So many of the things they managed in their short lifespan leave one awe struck. Here are some:

Ogbunigwe (missile).
Refining of coal for petrol.
Local armoured cars.

When just the 3 above are considered, its hard to conclude the Nigeria is not a disgrace.

Biafra refined Palm Oil to diesel not Coal to petrol.

It built Ogbunigwe as anti-personal and ship mines not anti-aircraft missile.

^
Forgive my memory, the resources on these things are scanty and conflicting.

texazzpete:

I sincerely doubt that the 'Ogbunigwe' was an anti-aircraft missile. I really doubt that.

As for your 'missile' comment, i'd have to put the blame on the government and their neglect of our educational system. Homeless palestinians are making and firing off Qassam II rockets at israel for over a decade. I'm yet to hear of any missile system that Nigeria has produced. Even the relatively simplistic Katyusha type MLRS system seems to be above our capabilities.

We only started producing our own mortars about a decade and half ago. smh.

This is my point. Even if we want to make a tin of milk, we import the machines. Countries that attained independence at about the same period Nigeria did are building cars, jet fighters and advanced computer technologies. It is not that Nigerians lack the spirit or the talent, these things were abundantly displayed by the Biafrans. What can we do to bring that spirit back? It is very saddening.

As you mentioned, take a look at the Palestinians and their Qassams, and it doesn't even end there; the Palestinians are at the forefront in the region for practical developments in alternative energy sources; I have watched a documentary in utter amazement about stuff like Palestinian electric taxi's.
What can we do to save Nigeria? It is very embarrassing.

Aigbofa:

Biafra did not build any plane. Even the famed ogbunigbwe was probably no more than a glorified firecracker designed to scare rather than cause a serious damage.  

At least, it was a glorified firecracker designed to scare rather than cause serious damage. Some bombs manufactured during the WW2 were glorified dummies.

Lets learn how to compliment for once.

baifrans realy out perform there life spam.
they realy prove that we have something overhead
if the government do their duty,we shall get there.

trying to deny it because it will look as if our one nigeria
intention is a failure.
the day hausa/fulani deny awolowo's election winning,he himself found out that one nigeria is a mistake.
the same thing goes to zik and also to all apostles of one nigeria.

So what stops SE'ners 50+yrs after? They could have continued with the construction of air planes. That's serious business if you ask me. It's not onto Nigeria alone.

Ileke-IdI:

So what stops SE'ners 50+yrs after? They could have continued with the construction of air planes. That's serious business if you ask me. It's not onto Nigeria alone.

How can anybody develop technology when govts have traditionally believed in importing even pins and needles?
Something needs to be done to reawaken the Nigerian spirit, cos we are sinking into uselessness. If those things could be done in those days and under war conditions, tenfold can be done now.

Ileke-IdI:

So what stops SE'ners 50+yrs after? They could have continued with the construction of air planes. That's serious business if you ask me. It's not onto Nigeria alone.

What stopped SE'ners 50+yrs after the war are deluded jackasses such as you who sneaked onto the corridor of power in cesspit called Nigeria.

Dede1:

What stopped SE'ners 50+yrs after the war are deluded jackasses such as you who sneaked onto the corridor of power in cesspit called Nigeria.

Dude, how desperate can you be. Even enough to resurrect a yr old thread (that you were posting in a yr ago) just to quote me.  Always following my expensive shiot like a Biafran fly.    Get a hang on your demon. If I cause you too much emotional instability on the net, talk it out with your pastor.

*Back to ignoring a pathetic loser*

Beaf:

How can anybody develop technology when govts have traditionally believed in importing even pins and needles?
Something needs to be done to reawaken the Nigerian spirit, cos we are sinking into uselessness. If those things could be done in those days and under war conditions, tenfold can be done now.

Unless the Govt has to approve its construction, then that's not really much of a worry. IMO, Build the plane or plane parts, sell it to local/international  companies.

over 3 hours ago I asked a simple question:

nolongTing:

Can you provide us with photographic evidence and technological details of the Planes you are talking about please.

Any takers?

@ Ileke

Technology business is not done like dt especially if u r a new entrant or pioneering industry within d country. Normally, ur mother country co-opts and projects u as part of her foreign trade policy and negotiatons thereby practically fighting for market for u. Otherwise, u r a still birth. Technology market is so dominated dt its a highly political influenced.

Ileke-IdI:

Dude, how desperate can you be. Even enough to resurrect a yr old thread (that you were posting in a yr ago) just to quote me. Always following my expensive shiot like a Biafran fly. Get a hang on your demon. If I cause you too much emotional instability on the net, talk it out with your pastor.

*Back to ignoring a pathetic loser*

You amount to nothing enough to even pose infinitesimal emotional discomfort

homerac7:

@ Ileke

Technology business is not done like dt especially if u r a new entrant or pioneering industry within d country. Normally, your mother country co-opts and projects u as part of her foreign trade policy and negotiatons thereby practically fighting for market for u. Otherwise, u r a still birth. Technology market is so dominated dt its a highly political influenced.

Thanks.
If one is really determined, I'm sure that one can successfully manipulate their way around that domination.
We have airports in the SE, a determined and hardworking body would have figured out how to manipulate himself into building airplanes/airplane parts.
If Nigeria can have Innoson, they can have another for airplanes.