Nigeria’s outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari has handed the Navy to President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, assuring that the incoming government will address their needs.
Buhari who disclosed this at the Presidential Fleet Review 2023 on Monday, said, “the incoming administration of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will sustain the current tempo of my administration in giving the Nigerian Navy necessary support to effectively carry out its assigned tasks.”
According to him, there is an inextricable link between maritime security and economic prosperity, especially in consideration that Nigeria’s maritime environment serves both as a store house of resources as well as medium for maritime transport.
He furthered that there was need for safe and secure utilisation of these resources for national prosperity and in support of Nigeria’s Blue Economy aspirations.
The President said it was in realization of this that his “administration vigorously engaged in the recapitalisation of the Nigerian Navy Fleet throughout my eight years in office. Accordingly, about 20 capital ships have been acquired for the Nigerian Navy. These ships comprise offshore patrol vessels, landing ship transport, hydrograaphic survey vessels, seaward defense boats and helicopters as well as over 300 inshore patrol vessels and assault craft.
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“I had the honour to commission a new helicopter NN410 manufactured in Italy, NNS KADA, a landing ship transport, built in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and NNS IBENO, donated by the Peoples Republic of China.
“I deeply appreciate the donation and mutual military cooperation with our ship building partner nations for their support, which has encouraged local ship building by the Nigerian Navy.
He also applauded the Navy’s ship building effort, adding that, “the Nigerian Navy efforts in indigenous shipbuilding in line with the nation’s local content development plan is yielding positive result.
“Our naval engineers were wholly responsible for building 3 Seaward Defence Boats namely NNS ANDONI, NNS KARADUWA and NNS OJI. In December 2021, I equally performed the laying foundation for the construction of 2 Seaward Defence Boats, which will be ready by 2024.”
The President also lauded the impressive combat displays staged by elements of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, alongside a combination of assets from the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force.
He said ‘‘I expect this to translate into actual capability to dominate Nigeria’s maritime environment and secure the vast resources therein for the socio-economic development of our great country.”
Buhari further expressed optimism that the Navy will soon commence construction of larger ships for itself and other navies in the region and beyond, noting that the force’s achievement in ship building is a great pride to Nigeria and an impressive contribution to national development.
