The Nigerian Navy (NN) on Thursday said its determination to gain self-sufficiency resulted in the construction of 5 indigenous ships between 2010 and 2026.
The Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Admiral Akinola Olodude, made this announcement during the official commencement of a historic fortnight celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Service.
As part of activities to celebrate the platinum milestone, Olodude disclosed that President Bola Tinubu will conduct the international fleet review
“Furthermore, the Navy has embarked on shipbuilding and has constructed 5 vessels since 2010. These include a ferry, a tug-boat and 3 seaward defence boats.
“Presently, the Naval Shipyard Limited in Port Harcourt is constructing a 27m ferry for the Akwa Ibom State Government, while the Naval Dockyard Limited in Lagos is constructing two Seaward Defence Boats of 44.2m in length.
Notably, the Naval Dockyard Limited refitted 3 warships for the Beninois Navy between 2024 and 2025 and is presently refitting 3 more for the Beninois Navy. 7.
“Operationally, the Nigerian Navy has, over the years, been involved with sister services in several internal security, counter-terrorism, and counter-insurgency operations around the Country.
“Particularly, the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service has been critical in most of these operations and performed daring raids, contributing significantly towards the successes achieved”, he declared.
He restated the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas’ commitment to a technology-driven Navy, with the capacity to deal with evolving maritime Security challenges.
“As we look towards the next decade, under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abass, the Nigerian Navy recognises that the evolving maritime security challenges demand innovative strategies beyond traditional frameworks.
“Our commitment to becoming a highly digitised and networked blue-water navy is embodied in the upcoming Seapower for Africa Symposium, themed ‘Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Maritime Security in Africa.”
“This transition is underscored by the induction of new patrol vessels like NNS MAMBILA, NNS GURARA, and NNS OLOIBIRI, reflecting our dedication to sustained fleet renewal and indigenous engineering.
“The forthcoming dual-launch of the Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea and the International Maritime Exercise, highlighted by the personal attendance of our Commander-in-Chief, further establishes the Nigerian Navy’s role as a stabilising force in the sub-continent.
“Through the integration of technology with adequately trained manpower, we are prepared to confront asymmetric threats characterised in the Fourth Generation Warfare while preparing for emerging threats of the Fifth Generation Warfare”, the Service assured.
It concluded thus: “Nationally, the Nigerian Navy, through its effort, has ensured that Nigeria has remained fully delisted from the International Maritime Bureau’s list of piracy-prone nations since 2022.
“This has had attendant benefits for lowering shipping, trade and insurance costs.
“Regarding shipping, the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office over the years has facilitated safe navigation in Nigeria’s Maritime environment through charting of various areas such as Lagos Harbour, Calabar Channel, Igbokoda and Oguta Lake to the Atlantic Ocean, among several others”.
