A two-tier fleet for a West African navy

What sort of navy would suit a West African country today?

A two-tier mix of offshore patrol vessels and a few Type 31-sized frigates offers useful capability without unaffordable training and support demands.

Offshore patrol vessels could handle routine presence and constabulary work in a two-tier force. A Type 31-sized frigate would form the upper tier, providing modular capacity and combat capability without the cost of a more specialised high-end escort. Buying a design already in production avoids the burden of a bespoke class and gives the navy access to an established training, support, and systems-development community. A Chinese purchase might be cheaper but would carry a diplomatic signal that the state may not wish to send.