Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari said that his administration has recapitalized the Nigerian Navy fleet with the purchase of 20 capital ships over the course of eight years to ensure the security of the country’s maritime domain.
President Buhari commissioned two capital ships and a newly purchased Nigerian Navy 410 helicopter at the Naval Dockyard in Victoria Island, Lagos, to mark the end of his administration. He also tasked President-elect Bola Tinubu with maintaining the pace of his administration by assisting the navy in carrying out its assigned duties effectively.
Speaking at the Presidential Fleet Review and Commissioning Ceremony of Nigerian Navy Ships and Helicopter for 2023, Buhari praised the Navy’s capacity to make effective use of the equipment, noting that it had achieved success in the war on piracy, counter-drug operations, and resource theft.
He emphasized that “piracy significantly decreased over the past seven years, culminating in the International Maritime Bureau delisting Nigeria from the list of piracy-prone countries in March 2022.” Economic progress and maritime security are inextricably linked. This is taking into account the fact that our maritime environment acts as both a resource repository and a means of maritime transportation. Therefore, a key component of the Nigerian Navy’s police responsibilities is the safe and secure use of these resources for national development in support of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“My administration, realizing this, relentlessly pursued the recapitalization of the Nigerian Navy Fleet during my eight years in office.
Accordingly, the Nigerian Navy has acquired roughly 20 major ships. Along with more than 300 inland patrol and assault craft, these ships also include offshore patrol vessels, landing ship transport, hydrographic survey vessels, seaward defense boats, and helicopters.
He also praised the Navy for stopping the MT HEROIC IDUN, which was trying to carry crude oil off the coast of Bonny in August 2022, and for its efforts in indigenous shipbuilding, which he called a source of great pride for the nation.
He claimed that the construction of the NNS ANDONI, NNS KARADUWA, and NNS OJI Seaward Defense Boats was entirely the responsibility of the navy engineers.
“I completed the keel laying foundation work in December 2021 for the building of two Seaward Defence Boats, which will be completed in 2024. At this rate, I am confident that the Nigerian Navy will soon start building bigger ships for both its own needs and those of other navies in the area and beyond.
He said that the 2023 Fleet Review’s theme, “Fleet Readiness for National Prosperity,” was carefully chosen to highlight the Nigerian Navy’s ability to respond to intrusions in the country’s maritime spaces and in the Gulf of Guinea. He also pointed out that the use of technology to secure the maritime domain had supported the intelligence-driven deployment of these ships.
I have no doubt that the new administration of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu will sustain the current tempo of my administration in providing the Nigerian Navy with the necessary assistance to successfully carry out its assigned missions, Buhari said, urging the incoming toe the line of his administration.
Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, the Chief of the Naval Staff, noted in his welcome speech that the review was intended to mark the conclusion of President Buhari’s eight-year administration. He noted that during this time, the Nigerian Navy received enormous support in terms of fleet recapitalization, infrastructure development, and personnel welfare, all of which boosted morale and fighting effectiveness among the naval personnel.
