The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla has said that the navy will inaugurate three recently acquired ships and two helicopters on May 30, 2024, into its inventory as part of its fleet renewal
Vice Admiral Ogalla also said the service was expecting five Operational Vessels from China and Turkey by the third quarter of the year.
The CNS who made this known at the interdenominational church service to mark the 68th anniversary celebrations of the Nigerian Navy further noted that the Nigerian Navy has concluded plans to commence building and repairing ships in the country.
He explained that this has become necessary as it would contribute to the growth of the service and the nation’s blue economy.
The CNS said, “We want to also use this opportunity to commend our efforts, particularly in the area of fleet renewal.
“On May 30 this year, we are commissioning three more ships and two more helicopters.
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“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.
Noting that the navy would soon begin to build and repair ships in the country, he said, ”Our local shipbuilding effort has become a cardinal point of my vision in the Nigerian Navy.
“This is because we realize that the only way we can grow as a navy is to make sure that we have local content in all our key areas of development.
“Of course, you know, shipbuilding is part of it. And also we recognize that shipbuilding and ship repairs will contribute effectively to the overall blue economy, which is one of the agenda of the president’s administration“
The CNS congratulated personnel of the service for their dedication to defending the nation’s maritime environment and the insecurity in the country even as he urged them to redouble their efforts to achieve more feats in the coming years.
“To this end, I urge every one of us to work hard to 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.”
