Nigerian Navy’s Fleet Recapitalisation as Boost for Blue Economy, Combatting Maritime Threats

In accordance with its fleet recapitalisation drive, the Nigerian Navy recently took delivery of an Offshore Patrol Vessel, OPV, and an Offshore Survey Vessel, OSV, from Turkey and France, respectively. While the first one from Turkey is a 76-metre High Endurance OPV to combat maritime threats, the second from France, a 35-metre 115 OSV would boost the efforts of Nigerian Navy Ship LANA, the nation’s first hydrographic vessel, to chart the course of Hydrography and optimise the functionality of Nigeria’s Blue Economy

Although 70 per cent of Nigeria’s economic growth lies  on the waterways, the maritime domain is often fraught with the challenges of maritime illegalities ranging from piracy, sea robbery, smuggling, illegal fishing to crude oil theft and others.

To tackle this, the Nigerian Navy (NN) has had to patrol the endless miles of waterways despite some major challenges like shortage of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), budget constraints, inadequate local ship building capacity for constructing naval vessels and inadequate surveillance.

Asides protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity, the NN also contributes its quota at the regional level, by patrolling the waters of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) which is a vast expanse of water stretching almost 6,000km from Senegal to Angola.

But today, some of these challenges are gradually becoming a thing of the past especially when it comes to fleet acquisition, surveillance and ship building capacity.

Just recently, in line with its fleet recapitalisation drive, the NN took delivery of an OPV and an Offshore Survey Vessel, OSV, from Turkey and France, respectively. While the first one from Turkey is a 76-metre High Endurance OPV to combat maritime threats, the second from France, a 35-metre 115 OSV would boost the efforts of Nigerian Navy Ship LANA, the nation’s first hydrographic vessel, in charting the course of hydrography. 

Combatting Maritime Threats with New 76-Metre HE OPV

Just last week Friday on April 19, 2024, the NN launched a 76-metre High Endurance (HE) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) built for the Nigerian Navy (NN)  in DEARSAN Shipyard Turkey, to boost maritime security. 

The launch was graced by the Minister of state for Defence, Dr Bello Muhammed Matawalle; the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla; the Charge D’Affair, Nigerian Embassy Turkey, Ambassador Zayyad Habu Abdulsalam and other dignitaries. 

According to the Director of Information (DINFO), Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, with crew capacity of  47 and endurance of 16 days (which means that the vessel can stay for such long at sea without berthing to refuel and restock), the general specifications of the newly launched OPV include length of 76.90m;  width of 11.90m; draught – 3.60m; speed of 28knots; Propulsion System – Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD); and range of 2500 nautical miles. 

While the ship was launched by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, last Friday, it brought memories of the first OPV built by the same DEARSAN Shipyard that was launched on October 26, 2023. 

According to the CNS, the launch of the 76m OPV marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding her territorial waters and combating maritime threats. 

Speaking further, the CNS  noted that the construction of the 2 x OPVs commenced in 2022, adding that uaf he was particularly pleased that the milestones on the vessel construction have been met.

He said: “The construction of the vessel will boost NN fleet renewal efforts for fulfilment of her constitutional mandate and ensure maximum presence at sea to curb illicit acts such as oil theft, piracy, sea robbery, illegal fishery as well as smuggling of Small Arms and Light Weapons among other crimes in the vast 84,000sqnm of Nigeria’s maritime environment.”

While adding that it would “also facilitate harnessing the enormous potentials within Nigeria’s maritime domain in support of FG’s Blue Economy initiatives”, the CNS further expressed sincere gratitude to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his support towards ensuring the completion of the construction of the OPVs and his commitment to NN fleet renewal aspirations.

He also extended his appreciation to the Special Guest of Honour the First Lady of Nigeria Senator (Dr) Oluremi Tinubu CON for accepting the invitation to perform the age long naval tradition of launching a ship into water for the first time, a role often reserved for female leaders.

With New Offshore Survey Vessel, It’s Boost for Hydrography

In another move towards optimising the functionality of Nigeria’s Blue Economy, the NN took delivery of a state-of-the-art OSV recently. A French shipbuilding company OCEA SA, successfully delivered the cutting-edge OSV 115 vessel to the NN in Apapa, Lagos on  April 17, 2024. 

According to Commodore Adams-Aliu, the OSV 115, designed and manufactured by OCEA SA, is a 35-metre vessel built for scientific hydrographic and oceanographic missions. “Equipped with progressive technology, including medium/shallow water multi-beam echo-sounders and other essential survey equipment, the vessel is primed to conduct in-depth surveys in shallow and medium waters.

This latest addition to the NN fleet will operate in tandem with the OSV 190 “NNS LANA,” also built and delivered by OCEA in 2021. The primary role of the new vessel is to conduct hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, supporting the ongoing NN efforts to safeguard Nigerian territorial waters and optimise the current administration’s Blue Economy initiatives. 

“It should be recalled that the NN commenced local production of internationally recognised nautical charts in 2019 and the newly acquired OSV will further improve NN hydrographic charting proficiency. The delivery of the OSV 115 vessel comes with comprehensive support services, including training, spare parts, tooling, and necessary documentation, ensuring seamless integration and operation within the Nigerian Navy’s fleet. 

“The CNS remains grateful to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his unwavering support to the NN in her fleet renewal aspirations.”