Thread by @cfmemories

THE RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION AGENCY (RAP)

At the outbreak of the war, Biafra was poorly equipped as compared to the Nigerian army with arms and ammunition being in short supply. This imbalance in power was intensified in the course of the war. Biafran scientists, prominently from

the University of Nigeria Nsukka (then University of Biafra), formed the Research and Production (RAP) Agency of Biafra which included a Weapons Research and Production Group.

Headed by COLONEL EJIKE OBUMNEME AGHANYA, it was the aim and purpose of this group to develop an

indigenous arms industry and they soon started with the production of ammunition, grenades and armoured cars. They also produced bombs, rockets, missiles (collectively called Ogbunigwe), telecommunication gadgets and petroleum refineries among others for the Biafran Armed Forces.

Their most effective and infamous product was the Ogbunigwe of which there were different types in various sizes. The term Ogbunigwe later came to include grenades and landmines but initially referred to non guided rocket propelled surface-to-air missiles which were later

converted to surface-to-surface missiles. The engineers Seth Nwanagu, Willy Achukwu, Sylvester Akalonu, Nath Okpala Gordian Ezekwe, Benjamin Nwosu and others were instrumental in the design and production of the weapons.

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