Tag: Navy

The Nigerian Naval Dockyard Limited (NDL) on October 10, made history following the successful handover and relaunch of a Benin Republic warship, BNS PENDJARI, which was moribund.

BNS PENDJARI was one of six Naval vessels from the French country which was brought to NDL in February for complete renovation and refurbishment.

The relaunch of the warship, according to both navies, marked a significant milestone in regional maritime security and cooperation.

Speaking at the event which was held at the NDL in Victoria Island, Lagos, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, acknowledged the NDL’s capability in shipbuilding and maintenance.

He applauded the NDL for deploying 100 percent local content in revamping the warship, noting that the exercise was a plus in the drive to build strategic relationships with other African navies.

“This re-launch ceremony allows me to once again reaffirm my confidence in the competence and commitment of the officers, ratings, and civilian staff of the Naval Dockyard Limited. I am glad to particularly note the achievements of the Nigerian Navy in the fight against maritime crimes and sustaining maritime safety in Nigeria’s maritime domain and by extension the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

“This has manifested in the repairs of over 110 Nigerian Navy ships and in the last two decades; about 30 merchant vessels as well as the training of over 1200 marine engineers and technicians.

“Indeed, the Navy through the Naval Dockyard is also contributing immensely to the development of indigenous shipbuilding and maintenance; building a strong and vibrant industrial base, training of engineers and technicians in marine engineering and allied fields… among other areas.

“This has not only put Nigeria in the limelight as one of the leading product developers in the maritime sector but established our collective resolve to contribute to the growth of global maritime investment and sustenance.

“Today, we as Nigerians and Africans, stand tall with pride as we have successfully achieved a feat that would promote maritime security, safety and trade,” said Ogalla who was represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Bala Hassan.

In his remarks, the Admiral Superintendent, NDL, Rear Admiral Bolaji Orederu, said the repairs included hull cleaning and painting, stanchions modification, and reconstruction of degraded deck vents and gears.

Orederu said the NN also transferred knowledge and skills to the Bennois Navy during the repairs explaining that their personnel were onboard throughout the period.

He said the other vessels would be completed as scheduled.

“It is noteworthy that docking and repairs of the Republic of Benin Navy ships in the Yard is a significant milestone in bolstering regional capacity for maritime security and military cooperation between both navies.

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“It is worthy of note that this is the first time that Naval Dockyard Limited has docked an international navy ship, adding to her credentials of being a strategic force multiplier in Nigeria’s maritime ecosystem.

“The Yard made numerous corrective repairs on the ship, restoring her operations efficiency and seaworthiness, demonstrating significant capacity and experience in shipbuilding and repairs…

“Additionally, various pumps and valves with technical errors were all corrected through the ingenuity of the engineers in the Yard amongst regular preservative and corrective repairs.

“By completing these repairs, the Naval Dockyard is poised to re-launch BNS PENDJARI to sea and this ceremony is significantly important to the Naval Dockyard Limited and our sister country, the Republic of Benin,” he said.

Receiving the vessel, the Bennois Navy appreciated the NN for being a beacon of hope in the ECOWAS Zone E maritime block, noting that the newly refurbished vessel would be deployed as a force multiplier in the GoG.

• Holds educational outreach

The Nigerian Navy has harped on the need for intelligence sharing between security agencies and host communities to curb insecurity in the Niger Delta.

The Commanding Officer, Forwarding Operating Base Escravos, Navy Captain Olayinka Aliu, made the call on Saturday during an educational outreach by the Navy in the various communities of Ugborodo, Warri Southwest council area of Delta State.

While emphasising the need for “good civil-military relations,” the Navy in particular, canvassed for “intelligence sharing between the Naval Base and the host communities for a secured and peaceful environment in Ugborodo general area.”

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He said the Educational Rhapsody which was coming up on the heels of a Medical Rhapsody recently conducted by the Naval personnel in the Ugborodo general area, was  “part of the  non-kinetic component of ‘Operation Delta Sanity III’, aimed at utilising soft approach to win hearts and minds of the locals in the fight against COT.”

During the outreach, educational materials were donated to various schools, as well as career lectures for students.

Among those who attended were HRH The Galaxy, the Eharaja of Ugborodo, as well as leaders from the various host communities.

The Navy has harped on the need for intelligence sharing between security agencies and host communities to curb insecurity in the Niger Delta.

The Commanding Officer, Forwarding Operating Base, Escravos, Navy Captain Olayinka Aliu, made the call on Saturday during an educational outreach by the Navy in the various communities of Ugborodo, Warri Southwest council area of Delta State.

Emphasising the need for “a good civil-military relations,”  the Navy in particular, canvassed for “intelligence sharing between the Naval Base and the host communities for a secured and peaceful environment in Ugborodo general area”.

He said the Educational Rhapsody which was coming up on the heels of a Medical Rhapsody recently conducted by the Naval personnel in the Ugborodo general area, was  “part of the  non-kinetic component of ‘Operation Delta Sanity III’, aimed at utilizing soft approach to win hearts and minds of the locals in the fight against COT”. 

During the outreach, educational materials were donated to various schools, as well as career lectures for students.

To adequately harness the country’s maritime resources for the blue economy, the Nigerian Navy (NN) on Monday, September 9, said there was a need for sustainable maritime safety and security practices.

This was disclosed at a 5-day maritime security and blue economy workshop organised at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) QUORRA, Lagos, by the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) in collaboration with Sequential Development Solution (SDS).

The maiden workshop which brought together maritime stakeholders aimed at enhancing participants’ understanding of the blue economy and its importance to Nigeria; improving their capacity to support and protect sustainable maritime activities, and strengthening their cooperation with national and international maritime stakeholders.

Declaring the workshop open, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, noted that the realisation of the objectives of the blue economy was hinged on sustained maritime security in the country.

Represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Doctrine Command (NAVDOC), Rear Admral Habila Zakaria, the CNS said the propensity and existence of some maritime crimes in the country’s waters threaten the stability and development of the maritime sector.

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“Crimes such as Piracy, Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing, Crude Oil Theft, and other transnational crimes threaten the prosperity of the maritime sector.

“Therefore, ensuring the safety and security of Nigeria’s maritime domain is critical for the success of the Blue Economy as well as the overall well-being of Nigerians.

“This can only be achieved through collaboration, shared knowledge, and integration of modern technologies that can be used to effectively combat maritime crimes while promoting sustainable economic activities,” he said.

According to Ogalla, the sustainable use of the country’s vast maritime resources for improved livelihoods and national economic growth offers immense potential for the Blue Economy.

“This will provide possibilities for Nigeria to diversify its economy, boost foreign exchange earnings, and create jobs for millions of Nigerians,” he said.

Ogalla said that the workshop would offer an avenue for maritime experts, government, and other stakeholders to brainstorm innovative solutions to the maritime challenges for the enhanced Blue Economy of Nigeria.

“I encourage you all to think critically and bring to the fore, strategies that will ensure a secured maritime domain and unlock the boundless opportunities of the Blue Economy of Nigeria,” he said.

In his remarks, the Director General, IMION, Rear Adm. Thaddeus Udofia (rtd), said the expected outcome of the workshop was to increase participants’ compliance with environmental regulations and sustainable practices, as well as enable them to contribute to the sustainable development of Nigeria’s maritime resources.

Udofia said the workshop would discuss key maritime industry issues and their impact on the economy, adding that the institute was established in June to harness the potential of the blue economy.

“The aim of IMION is to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge needed to contribute towards the sustainable development of Nigeria’s maritime sector.

“IMION is tasked with conducting comprehensive research to identify gaps in maritime knowledge, collaborating with industry experts and academia to benchmark against global standards.

“IMION would explore existing studies to understand where gaps exist and prioritize research areas that directly impact the maritime industry.

“Our goal is to bridge these gaps through research topics aligned with key areas such as sustainability, environmental protection, safety, and technological advancements

“By the end of this workshop, we hope that participants will be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to play an active role in advancing maritime security and the blue economy in Nigeria,” he said.

Youths across social media platforms, musical artists can unite the society through music.

The appeal was made at Nigerian Navy Band conference: “Fostering a peaceful society  through the power of music.”

The conference, at Nigerian Navy Music School, Ota, Ogun State, gathered musicologists from Armed Forces, other security agencies and academia.

Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, noted the need for the naval directorate of music to  establish steel bands in more schools for pupils to develop interest in to become patriotic musical artists as they grow up.

Ogalla, represented by Chief of Administration, Rear Admiral Kennedy Ezete, noted that music can be used to tell unifying stories and history and keep young ones busy.

Calling for restraint and self-discipline among Nigerians, Ogalla said: “We have to be self-disciplined because the kind of music they play today is different from the past.

“This is the Gen Z era. I think there is a disconnect between them and how our society will be better. So, we can still use music to send out the real message of how a society should be in a way to appeal to them.

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In his paper, Associate Professor of Music at University of Lagos, John Olugbenga, noted our complex, with over 400 ethnic groups and 500 indigenous languages.

“With these diversities; music can bring us together. Every diverse cultures, groups will understand…’’

“All musicians – academia, non-academia, military, paramilitary and celebrities – it is ] a combined work. We must use music as a unifying factor, now everything is just going in a different direction…’’

’’ Let us use music to gather everybody together by bringing peace, unity, solidarity, harmony in our nation. “We need government support to achieve this.

 We need to continue to have different musical conferences towards bringing communities and individuals together to educate them on how music can be used positively to bring peace in our nation,” he concluded.

 Similarly, a music lecturer at the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Dr. Debora Temisan-Lawal, said researches have shown music was a powerfulnon-violent tool to solve several issues in the country and across the world. “Music is a form of identity.

 It exemplifies our values, it shows what we stand for, what we fall for and what we desire. If you can touch the hearts of these issues; if you use that to speak to the person, you are speaking to his inner being, to his emotions and so that person is more likely to listen to you than when you back orders at that person. “So when you have ethnic issues and you go to that place, speak their language with music. If you watch any music performance, you will see there is an embodiment of culture.

 You see their dressing, you see their gestures, you see their dance steps, you see their language. So music embodies all of these things. “So the moment you are appealing to them using music, they identify with what other people are going through.

 “It’s a collective effort to ensure that the right kind of music is heard by the population. We have to push out the right kind of music as an agenda. Once we are able to do that more people will listen to it and they will listen in their language.

“They will begin to accept and tolerate other people. So, it is an agenda that everyone has to be involved in so that music that unifies us in terms of language, lyrics…are celebrated and broadcast,” she stated. In his welcome address, the acting Director of Music, Captain Simon Ubandoma, said the conference was designed to leverage on the power of music to foster sustainable peace in the community and country.