Navy’s Fleet Recapitalisation Drive Gets Huge Boost

Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that the fleet recapitalisation drive of the Nigerian Navy recently got a massive boost with the inauguration of 100 epenal and suncraft boats, a helicopter for its air wing and six warships, including the third indigenously constructed Seaward Defence Boat III, NNS OJI, built by the Nigerian Navy

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.

Although these challenges have always been in existence, it is today heightened by global contemporary changes especially with regards to security, which is characterised by diverse threats such as terrorism, transnational organised crimes, trafficking and illicit economic activities enhanced by the interconnectedness of the maritime domain.

To tackle this, the Nigerian Navy 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.

Meanwhile, 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, which is a vast expanse of water stretching almost 6,000km from Senegal to Angola.

Today, some of these challenges are gradually receding especially when it comes to fleet acquisition, surveillance and ship building capacity. This is because the Nigerian Navy (NN) fleet has over the years received a major boost of warships and boats, with some built indigenously.

Nigeria’s Maritime Space and its Attendant Challenges

With a coastline of about 420nautical miles (nm), the Nigerian maritime domain lays claim to 200nm of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in line with United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This maritime space has tremendous economic potentials due to its rich hydrocarbon deposits, fishery resources, and several port facilities which if well harnessed are capable of improving the livelihood of the nation’s population.

However, despite the aforementioned prospects, the frequent abuse by diverse interests across the vast maritime domain has continued to buoy concerns and this is so because considering the wide expanse of the nation’s maritime domain with over 3,000 creeks and the frequent mutation and transnational nature of maritime crimes, the NN has had to initiate various independent operations and collaborative efforts with relevant stakeholders to curb the menace.

Fleet Recapitalisation

Any force is only as good as its military hardware and in the case of the NN, its platforms. This is because in improving the domestic and even external maritime environment, aggressive fleet recapitalisation strategy must be enabled.

Firm believers of this ideology, the NN recently boosted its fleet by inaugurating six warships including the third indigenously constructed Seaward Defence Boat (SDB) III, NNS OJI, built by the Nigerian Navy.

Aside the 100 epenal and suncraft boats, as well as an helicopter for its air wing, President Muhammadu Buhari also unveiled the acquired Inshore Patrol Craft (IPC), Fast Patrol Boats (FPB) including NNS LANA, KANO, IKENNE, ABA, SOKOTO and OSUN.

Inauguration

The president inaugurated the platforms at the Naval Dockyard in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Present at the occasion were the Minister of Defence, Magashi Bashir; Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, represented by GOC 81 Division, Major General Lawrence Fejokwu; and Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba.

Others include MD Bridevine Resources Limited,
Okunade Ojengbede; former NDC Commandant, Rear Admiral Ilesanmi Alade (Rtd); Senate and House of Reps Committee Chairmen on Navy, Senator George Sekibo and Hon Babajimi Benson, respectively.

Senior officers at the event include Rear Admiral Chris Ezekobe, Rear Admiral Abraham Adaji, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji; FOC West and NAVTRAC, Rear Admirals Jason Gbassa and Kamarudeen Lawal, respectively while billionaire businessman, Prince Authur Eze and National President, Naval Wives Association of Nigeria (NOWA), Hajiya Nana Gambo also graced the occasion.

Building Capacity in Local Content Development

Aside the inauguration of the platforms, it was more historical with the inauguration of the third indigenously built Seward Defence Boat, NNS OJI, built by the Nigerian Navy.

It would be pertinent to state that many of the locally fabricated parts used onboard the construction of the SDB III were produced in the Naval Dockyard Limited (NDL) workshop using the onboard equipment. This was done at the heavy engineering workshop.

Also, at the steel workshop, the fabrication and welding of various steel structures for SDB III was done, especially for the construction of fuel and water barges were prefabricated in the workshop using the available equipment.

Meanwhile, the electrical workshop played a part while the Arsenal Workshop, dedicated to the repair and installation of electronic equipment onboard and ashore, was used for construction and assembling of electrical/electronics panels for SDB III.

The carpentry workshop carried out carpentry, joinery and cabinet work onboard the SDB III before they were taken onboard for installation.

Impressed by what he saw on ground,
President Buhari commended the navy for maintaining a steady course in its drive for local content development, which he said was in tandem with the philosophy of his administration.

He went on to lay the keel for the construction of SDB IV and V, while adding that the new inductions to the naval fleet would boost their capability in securing Nigeria’s maritime domain.

For him, the inauguration was nostalgic given that he had in 2016, inaugurated NNS KARADUWA, the second locally built SDB and TUGBOAT UGWU, which were constructed. The second SDB was constructed following the successes recorded by NNS ANDONI, the first locally made warship commissioned by then President Goodluck Jonathan.

FG’s Commitment

While reiterating the federal government’s commitment to properly equip the navy with the right mix of platforms, the president said: “Let me assure you that the government will continue to support the ideals of the Nigerian Navy in the performance of its constitutional duties”.

Commendation
Commending the navy for its drive in securing the maritime space, the president said: “The federal government is aware of the navy’s dedication towards ensuring the security of the vast oil and gas industry in the nation’s maritime environment as well as our sea lanes of communications.
Given our present high dependence on oil and gas revenues, the navy is undeniably a major contributor to the economic well-being of our country.

“Arrests of those involved in illegalities have yielded results as some pirates, illegal bunkering syndicates, pipeline vandals and other miscreants have been convicted during this year. Such successes were made possible through the enforcement of our new anti-piracy law on Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act 2019.

“Furthermore, the provision of the new policy directives by the current administration of the Navy codified in such documents as the Nigerian Navy Strategic Plan 2021-2030; the Chief of the Naval Staff Strategic Directive 2021-5 and the Total Spectrum Maritime Strategy have given the Service credible guidelines and leverage for improved operational efficiency.

“I therefore commend the Navy’s efforts in the fight against maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea region. Again, I congratulate our N
navy under the able leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff – Vice Admiral AZ Gambo and all the officers, ratings and civilian staff of the Navy for these remarkable achievements.”

Charge
Charging all personnel to ensure that professionalism is maintained and good use of these platforms, he noted that “we are in a critical period where our country is faced with a serious decline in our revenue and the security challenges we are facing.

“The present realities therefore call for prudent resource management, innovativeness, accountability and careful maintenance. I wish to reiterate that despite these challenges, our administration is very determined to ensure that the Navy is well supported to achieve its statutory responsibilities”.

Raising the Bar

Expressing delight that the Naval Dockyard Limited SDB Project, which started in 2007, has yielded substantial reward with the completion of the third Seaward Defence Boat, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo said “in line to my vision to leverage all factors of national location, technology, training, teamwork and synergy to re-energise the NN as a well motivated and ready naval force in the discharge of her Constitutional mandate”, the service intends to raise the bar by embarking on the construction of two SDBs.

“Evidently, with the experience garnered so far, the Naval Dockyard Limited is adequately poised to take on this challenge in pursuit of the FGN’s Local Content Development effort.”

Deployment
In terms of deployment, the CNS said the Hydrographic Ship NNS LANA, which was received from her maiden voyage from France to Nigeria on May 17, 2021, will be involved in the hydrographic survey of the territorial waters towards ensuring safety of navigation within the waterways.

“SDBIII, Inshore Patrol Crafts (IPC) and Fast Patrol Boats (FPB) namely: NNS ABA, NNS KANO, NNS IKENNE, NNS SOKOTO and NNS OSUN will be deployed for surveillance and patrol duties within our waters. These efforts are geared towards enhancing the performance of our constitutional role regarding hydrographic survey and policing of our waters.

“Invariably, the induction of these platforms into the NN fleet will lead to further decline in criminal activities in our maritime domain. I will like to assure you all that these assets will be adequately maintained to sustain our maritime security operations.

“The Nigerian Navy will continue to imbibe the realities of our national imperatives and apply the most optimal policies and strategies in addressing the security challenges in our maritime domain including the Gulf of Guinea. To this end, our platforms will be deployed in line with the NN’s Trinity-of-Actions Concept of Maritime Security to deny criminal elements freedom of action.

“The NN remains committed to a robust collaborative engagement with other maritime stakeholders in enhancing the performance of the nation’s ports and that shipping activities along our Sea Lanes of communications including maritime activities along the Inland waterways are not hindered in anyway. May I therefore use this occasion to once again solicit for the sustenance of the cooperation among maritime and security stakeholders operating in our maritime domain.”