The Nigerian Navy is set to start building and repairing ships locally as part of its effort to boost the nation’s blue economy, News About Nigeria reports.
This announcement was made by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, during an interdenominational church service marking the 68th anniversary of the Nigerian Navy.
Vice Admiral Ogalla stated that the initiative to develop shipbuilding and repair capabilities within Nigeria is a step towards achieving self-reliance.
“Our local shipbuilding effort has become a cardinal point of my vision in the Nigerian Navy,” Ogalla stated. “We realise that the only way we can grow as a navy is to ensure local content in all our key areas of development.”
In addition to announcing the local shipbuilding plans, Vice Admiral Ogalla revealed that the Nigerian Navy would soon commission two newly acquired ships and three helicopters.
These assets will be officially added to the Navy’s inventory on May 30, 2024.
Furthermore, the navy is expecting five operational vessels from China and Turkey by the third quarter of the year.
“We want to also use this opportunity to commend our efforts, particularly in the area of fleet renewal,” Ogalla said. “On May 30 this year, we are commissioning three more ships and two more helicopters. This is in addition to several other OPVs that are coming from different parts of the world. We have two OPVs that are coming from Turkey, which are billed to come in the third quarter of this year, we have three that are coming from China.”
During his address, the naval chief praised the dedication and commitment of naval personnel to defending Nigeria’s maritime environment and tackling insecurity.
He encouraged them to intensify their efforts to achieve even greater success in the future.
“To this end, I urge everyone to work hard and redouble our efforts to ensure that we achieve even more in the years ahead. Let us make sure that we have a navy that we will be proud of.”
