The Nigerian Navy has mobilized 15 warships, three helicopters, gunboats, and detachments of its elite Special Boat Service for the 2024 Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Annual Sea Inspection.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Navy has mobilized 15 warships, three helicopters, gunboats, and detachments of its elite Special Boat Service for the 2024 Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Annual Sea Inspection.
The participating vessels include Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Kada, NNS Dorina, NNS Ibeno, NNS Ikenne, NNS Kano, NNS Burutu, NNS Sokoto, NNS Zur, NNS Chanawa, DB Abuja, NNS Andoni, NNS Orji, NNS Bomadi, and NNS Ekulu.
Launching the exercise, codenamed Exercise Dein Abaji, at the Onne Dockyard in Rivers State, the CNS, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, described it as an annual expedition designed to evaluate the operational readiness of the navy.
“The exercise aims to evaluate the operational condition and preparedness of the Nigerian Navy fleet to address maritime threats, in accordance with our statutory responsibilities,” Ogalla said aboard NNS Kada on Sunday.
He further highlighted that the drill, scheduled from December 8 to December 11, underscores the navy’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s maritime environment for economic prosperity.
“It showcases the navy’s capacity to safeguard the maritime environment for national economic prosperity and demonstrates our readiness to support existing domestic and regional maritime security initiatives,” he added.
Ogalla emphasized that Exercise Dein Abaji 2024, translating to “Calm Waters” in the Kalabari dialect, is critical for bolstering Nigeria’s Blue Economy while extending security efforts to the Gulf of Guinea.
“To this end, we are deploying 15 ships, three helicopters, and the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service to strengthen our combat readiness and interagency cooperation.
“During this exercise, we will harness the collaboration of maritime stakeholders through information sharing to enhance our collective ability to achieve national security objectives,” Ogalla stated.
The navy chief attributed the increase in legitimate shipping and crude oil production to the navy’s robust maritime operations.
“These achievements can be credited to our sustained presence at sea, the deployment of surveillance technology, enhanced interagency collaboration, and international partnerships,” he noted.
Rear Admiral Saheed Akinwande, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command, said the exercise would enable the CNS to assess the fleet’s operational responsiveness and other critical capabilities.
“To this end, we will conduct a series of evolutions, including anti-piracy and anti-crude oil operations, fleet manoeuvre, emergency drills, and amphibious raid exercises, among others,” Akinwande explained.
He stressed that the drills aim to enhance operational efficiency, address areas needing improvement, and refine the navy’s expertise in various operations.
“Through this exercise, we aim to assess our operational efficiency, identify areas for improvement, and enhance our collective expertise in various naval operations,” he concluded.
