Nigerian Navy - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Nigerian Navy is a branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Nigerian Navy is among the largest Navies on the African continent, consisting of about 15,000 personnel, including those of the Coast Guard.

Brief History

The Nigerian Navy owes its origin to the Nigerian Marine. Formed in 1914 after the amalgamation of the then Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria, the Nigerian Marine as it became known after 1914 was a quasi-military organization. Its origin lay with the Lagos Marines, which was first established in 1887 by the British Colonial Government. This Force later expanded to become the Southern Nigerian Marine in 1893. A Northern Nigeria equivalent of the same name was formed in 1900. The 2 Marines were merged in 1914 after Nigeria came under a single colonial administration. The responsibility of the Marine included administration of the ports and harbours, dredging of channels, bouyage and lighting. It also operated ferry services, touring launches and other small craft that plied the various creeks and other inland waterways. The Royal Navy provided the necessary military security as part of its overall military defence of the British Empire . Though it performed mostly coast guard functions, the Nigerian Marine saw action in the First World War as part of the British military offensive against German held Cameroon. This organization remained the only maritime outfit in Nigeria until 1955 when the British colonial authorities carried out a major reorganisation of Nigeria's maritime administration in order to improve efficiency. This re-organisation led to the establishment of 3 new organizations to undertake the various functions hitherto carried out by the Marine Department.

The first of these 3 new organizations was the Nigerian Ports Authority, which was charged with the running of ports and ensuring safe navigation. The second organisation was the Inland Waterways Department, which took over the running of ferries and touring launches. The third organisation was the Nigerian Naval Force, made up mostly of reserve Royal Navy officers and ex-Service personnel who were transferred to the Nigerian Ports Authority from the defunct Nigerian Marine. These officers and men never liked the transfer and pressed the Colonial Authorities to re-constitute them as the nucleus of a future Nigerian Navy. Under pressure from them, the Nigerian Naval Force was established on 1 June 1956 as a nucleus of a future Navy. Its primary responsibility was to train the necessary manpower and set up the appropriate infrastructure that will be utilized by the planned Navy. The first basic training establishment to train manpower for the future Navy - the HMNS QUORRA was started on 1 November 1957 with 60 junior ratings who underwent a 6 month basic seamanship course.

On 1st May 1958, a colonial ordinance formally brought the Nigerian Naval Force under the Naval Disciplinary Act. This act essentially brought the officers and men of the Nigerian Naval Force under the disciplinary procedures and legal regimes applicable to the Royal Navy. The Ordinance tasked the new Navy with the following responsibilities:

a. To maintain a Customs preventive patrol.

b. To assist in carrying out surveys in the approaches to the ports of Nigeria.

c. To train new entries to the Navy.

d. To plan and train a future Navy.

In July 1959, the Nigerian Naval Force was transformed into a full fledged Navy when the Queen of England granted permission for the Force to use the title ‘Royal Nigerian Navy’. The title was changed to the ‘Nigerian Navy’ in 1963 after Nigeria became a republic. The constitutional task of the Navy was expanded in 1964 after the repeal of the 1958 Ordinance. The new law known as the Navy Act of 1964 for the first time tasked the Navy with the military responsibility of “naval defence of Nigeria.” Other tasks assigned the Navy by the 1964 Act were essentially coast guard duties namely: assisting in enforcement of Customs laws, making of hydrographic surveys and training of officers and men in naval duties.

These tasks were essentially routine functions of any Navy. Consequently, the naval leadership began to mount pressure on the political leadership to re-define the constitutional role of the Navy. In 1993, this pressure yielded the desired result and under a new law; the Armed Forces Decree 105 now known as the Armed Forces Act, was incorporated as part of the 1999 Constitution. The Navy was given expanded military and constabulary roles especially in the oil and gas sectors of the Nigerian maritime economy.

The Mission Statement

The Nigerian Navy shall discharge its constitutional roles and assigned tasks in a professional and responsible manner, consistent with global best practices for the defence and protection of Nigeria’s territorial integrity”.

CORE VALUES OF THE NN

Integrity: A quality which all officers and men of the Navy must hold steadfast because the nation has entrusted its maritime security and implicitly, the lives of the citizenry to the NN. The NN shall therefore maintain the strictest integrity and uphold the confidence that the Nigerian people have reposed in it.

Professionalism: The vagaries of the maritime environment, the sophistication of naval platforms, the constraints imposed on operations under democratic directions/legal regimes and the imperatives of international norms have all combined to make naval operations more complex than ever before. This demands high professional standards by all NN personnel which shall not be compromised under any condition.

Teamwork: The complex nature of naval operations dictated by environmental factors and political cum legal imperatives makes teamwork indispensable for success. The NN shall continue to promote excellent teamwork at the various strata and with sister services as well as with cooperating agencies in line with its motto “ONWARD TOGETHER”.

The Vision

“To emplace a Navy that is adequately motivated and capable of effectively combating the security challenges in Nigeria’s maritime domain and in the West African Sub-region to enhance the well-being of the Nigerian people.”

The Naval Headquarters (NHQ)

The Naval Headquarters (NHQ) is the administrative and policy-making organ of the Nigerian Navy. At the head is the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) who exercises
full command of the NN. To effect full command of the NN, the CNS has 6 staff branches in addition to the Office of the Navy Secretary. The staff branches
are: Policy and Plans, Training and Operations, Administration, Naval Engineering, Logistics, Accounts and Budget. These branches are headed by Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) of
flag rank.

Directly under the Naval Headquarters (NHQ) are 2 operational commands (Western Naval Command and Eastern Naval Command) one training and one logistics command and several autonomous units.

The Western Naval Command

The Western Naval Command HQ is located at Apapa in Lagos. It covers the sea and coastal areas from the Nigeria/Benin border at Long 002o 49’ E to Long 006o E in Delta State from the Nigerian coastline to the limit of the nation’s EEZ. The Command has the following units under its jurisdiction:

Western Fleet at Apapa.
NNS BEECROFT, an operations base at Apapa.
NNS DELTA, an operations base at Warri.
NNS LUGARD, an operations base at Lokoja.
Naval Air Station, Ojo, Lagos.
Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital,Ojo, Lagos.
Fleet Support Group (West) at Apapa.
NNS WEY, a maintenance unit at Navy Town, Ojo.
Forward Operating Bases (FOB) IGBOKODA and ESCRAVOS in Ondo and Delta States respectively.
Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Abeokuta.
Nigerian Navy Hospital Warri.

The Eastern Naval Command

The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is the second operations command of the NN and it covers the sea area from Long 006o E in Delta State to the Nigeria/Cameroon border at Long 008o 30’ E, and from the Nigerian coastline to the limit of the nation’s EEZ. The headquarters is at Calabar. The Command has the following units under its jurisdiction:

NNS VICTORY, an operations base at Calabar.
NNS PATHFINDER, an operations base at Port Harcourt.
NNS JUBILEE, an operations base at Ikot Abasi.
Eastern Fleet at Calabar.
FOBs BONNY,EGUWEMA and IBAKA in Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom States respectively.
Fleet Support Group(East) at Calabar.
Navy Hospitals at Calabar and Port Harcourt.
Nigerian Navy Secondary Schools at Calabar and Port Harcourt.

Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC)

The main functions of the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) are the coordination and harmonization of training doctrines and standards for all local training in the NN as evolved by the NHQ. The Command is headed by the FOC NAVTRAC, who is assisted by 9 PSOs namely: the CSO, the Command Technical Training Officer (CTTO), Command Logistic Training Officer (CLTO) and Command Medical Training Officer (CMTO). Others are the Command Academic Training Officer (CATO), CABO, CAO, CINTO and CPM. The units under NAVTRAC are:

Sea Training Unit at Victoria Island, Lagos. It is responsible for Basic Operations Sea Training, Safety Operations Sea Training, and Consolidated Operations Sea Training of all NN ships when assigned. It also conducts harbour and ship acceptance trials of vessels after major refits.
NNS QUORRA at Apapa, which caters for various forms of seamen professional courses for officers and ratings.
Nigerian Navy Engineering College (NNEC) Sapele, which caters for the technical training of all NN technical personnel.
The Nigerian Navy Finance and Logistic School (NNFLS) at Owerrinta.
Nigerian Naval College ONURA and the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS), which are co-located at Onne, Port Harcourt. The 2 establishments conduct basic training for officers and ratings respectively.
There are other professional schools, which include; the Medical Staff Training School, Offa in Kwara State, the NN School of Music at Otta and the Hydrographic School at Port Harcourt. Others are the Naval Provost and Regulating School, the Nigerian Navy Intelligence School and the Physical Training School all at Apapa, Lagos.

The Logistics Command

The Logistics Command is equally commanded by a FOC of Rear Admiral rank. The permanent HQ of the Command is at Oghara, Delta State though it’s presently operating from Sapele. However, the Nigerian Navy Order establishing the Logistics Command which is expected to stipulate the organization and responsibilities of the Command is still been awaited

The autonomous units

The autonomous units are those units, which require prudent management and high-level control that need not be duplicated or represented at the lower hierarchy. Though small in outfit, they report directly to the CNS. Prominent among the autonomous units is the Nigerian Naval Dockyard, located in Victoria Island, Lagos. Hitherto, third line maintenance was carried out either in a foreign dockyard or private ones in Nigeria, at very high cost. The Naval Dockyard in Lagos, which was commissioned on 27 August 1990, now takes care of this high level maintenance such as major overhaul of ships engines, additions and alterations, and modification of designs. The Naval Shipyard in Port Harcourt was also acquired in 1990 from Messrs Witt and Bush. Smaller ships of the NN and merchant ships are repaired there. The shipyard has built and delivered some tugboats and barges to some private organizations.

The NN Air Arm

The 101 Squadron was established in 1985, based at Navytown near Ojo and operated AgustaWestland Lynx helicopters for anti-submarine warfare and SAR operations from the Meko class frigate. For quite some time, the Squadron operates Agusta 109 Helicopters from Warri Naval Base on anti-smuggling and oil protection duties.

Organization onboard NN ships

There are 4 main departments onboard NN ships. These are operations, marine engineering, weapon engineering and logistics. An officer, who is referred to as the head of department, is in charge of each department. He reports directly to the commanding officer on operational matters or through the Executive Officer (XO) on all administrative matters. The XO is the second in command on all naval ships, as well as being the head of the Operations Department in smaller ships. However, in bigger ships while the XO remains the second in command, the Principal Warfare Officer is the head of the Operations Department. In the ratings cadre, the most senior seaman rating is referred to as the Coxswain. The Coxswain is responsible for organizing the ratings for work and discipline.

Special Boat Service

The Special Boat Service (SBS) is a special operations unit of the Nigerian Navy. It is a male only outfit and was fashioned the Royal Navy Special Boat Service. The roles of the Special Boat Services are predominantly focused on, but not restricted to, littoral and riverine operations, including Reconnaissance and Surveillance, Covert beach reconnaissance in advance of an amphibious assault, recovery or protection of ships and oil installations subject to hostile state or non-state action, Maritime Counter-Terrorism and offensive Action.

Nigerian Navy Fleet

In late 2006 and early 2007, a naval exercise was held which saw several previously thought unserviceable ships involved.

Frigates/Offshore Patrol Vessels

Aradu (F89)

Aradu is a Nigerian frigate. She is the first of the MEKO 360 General Purpose frigates built by the German Blohm + Voss company of Hamburg.The 125.6 m ship is the biggest in the Nigerian Navy...

(F89) ||MEKO 360

MEKO 360

The MEKO 360 is a class of five destroyers built in Germany for the Argentine and Nigerian Navies. The 360 was the first ship of the MEKO family of vessels built by Blohm und Voss.-Variants:...

Type H1 Frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

Germany ||Nigerian navy flagship carrier (may soon be replaced)
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| NNS Thunder (F90)

USCGC Chase (WHEC-718)

USCGC Chase was a Hamilton class High Endurance Cutter of the United States Coast Guard. She was laid down on October 26, 1966 at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, launched on May 20, 1967 and commissioned on March 11, 1968. Chase is the fourth of twelve Hamilton Class, cutters, and the third...

||Hamilton class cutter

Hamilton class cutter

The Hamilton class cutter was the largest class of vessel in the United States Coast Guard until replaced by the National Security Cutter, aside from the Polar Ice Breakers. The hull classification symbol is prefixed WHEC...

United States || ex USCGC Chase (WHEC-718)

USCGC Chase (WHEC-718)

Left for Nigeria on 21/11/2011

Corvettes

United Kingdom ||
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| NNS Otobo (F82) ||Vosper Thornycroft MK3 ||

United Kingdom ||
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| NNS Erinomi (F83) ||Vosper Thornycroft MK9 ||

United Kingdom ||
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| NNS Enymiri (F84) ||Vosper Thornycroft MK9

Vosper Thornycroft MK9

The MK9 was disaged for the Nigerian Navy in the 1970's. Two ships were built by Vosper Thornycroft. The NNS Erinomi was launched on 20 January 1977 and commissioned on 29 January 1980. She stopped making patrols in 1993 due to constant breakdowns. In 1994-1995 she underwent a refit at Lagos which...

United Kingdom || Active as of 2007

Fast Attack Crafts

Germany ||
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| NNS Damisa (P179) ||Luerssen FPB57 Fast Patrol Boat ||

Germany || Active as of 2007
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| NNS Agu (P180) ||Luerssen FPB57 Fast Patrol Boat ||

Germany ||
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| NNS Siri (P181) || Combattante IIIB Fast Attack Craft ||

Early Modern France || Active as of 2007
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| NNS Ayam (P182) || Combattante IIIB Fast Attack Craft ||

Early Modern France || Active as of 2007
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| NNS Ekun (P183) || Combattante IIIB Fast Attack Craft ||

Early Modern France || Active as of 2007
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| NNS Burutu (P174) || Sea Eagle Fast Patrol Craft ||

Singapore ||
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| NNS Zaria (??) || Sea Eagle Fast Patrol Craft ||

Singapore ||

Patrol Cutters

USCG Seagoing Buoy Tender

The Seagoing Buoy Tender is a type of U.S. Coast Guard cutter originally designed to service aids to navigation, throughout the waters of the United States, and wherever U.S. shipping interests require. The Coast Guard has maintained a fleet of seagoing buoy tenders dating back to its origins in...

United States || ex USCGC Sedge (WLB-402)
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| NNS Ologbo (A 502) ||Class A, buoy tender

USCG Seagoing Buoy Tender

United States || ex USCGC Cowslip (WLB-277)

USCGC Cowslip (WLB-277)

The USCGC Cowslip is a sea going buoy tender . A Cactus class vessel, it was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Cowslips preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and...

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| NNS Nwamba (A 503) ||Class C, buoy tender

USCG Seagoing Buoy Tender

United States || ex USCGC Firebush (WLB-393)
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| NNS Obula (A 504) || Class C, buoy tender

USCG Seagoing Buoy Tender

United States || ex USCGC Sassafras (WLB-401)

USCGC Sassafras (WLB-401)

The Sassafras is a C-Class, 180 ft, seagoing buoy tender constructed for the USCG by Marine Iron & Shipbuilding Corp. of Duluth, Minnesota. The Sass was one of 39 tenders commissioned for duties that would include aids-to-navigation, ice breaking, search-and-rescue, fire fighting, law enforcement,...

Inshore Patrol Crafts

Shaldag class fast patrol boat

The Shaldag class Fast Patrol Boat is a small but fast class of patrol boats developed for the Israeli Sea Corps and launched in 1989, it has since seen service with several other navies. Designed for security tasks where high intercept speeds are required, such as interdiction of terrorism and...

|| 2 ||

Israel || Active, Purchased in 2009
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| Manta Class Patrol Boat || ?? ||

Singapore ||
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| Defender Class Boat (RB-S)

USCG Defender class boat

The Defender-class boat, also called Response Boat – Small and Response Boat – Homeland Security , is a standard boat introduced by the United States Coast Guard in 2002...

|| ?? ||

United States ||

Minesweepers

Lerici class minehunter

The Lerici class is a class of minehunters constructed by Intermarine SpA and owned and operated by the Marina Militare, the Italian Navy...

Coastal minesweeper ||

Italy || Non-operational (JFS 1999)
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| NNS 'Barama (M372) || Lerici Class

Lerici class minehunter

The Lerici class is a class of minehunters constructed by Intermarine SpA and owned and operated by the Marina Militare, the Italian Navy...

Coastal minesweeper ||

Italy || Non-operational (JFS 1999)

Amphibious Ships

Germany || Active as of 2007
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| NNS Ofiom (LST1313) || Ro-Ro Landing Ship, Tank ||

Germany || ??

Others

United Kingdom || Active as of 2010
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| NNS Amariya (??) || ?? || || Presidential yacht and training ship
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| NNS Argungu (P 165) || Argungu Class ||

Germany || ??
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| NNS Yola (P 166)|| Argungu Class ||

Germany || ??
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| NNS Bras (P 169)|| Argungu Class ||

Germany || ??
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| NNS Epe (P 170)|| Argungu Class ||

Germany || ??
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| NNS Makurdi (P 167)|| Makurdi Class ||

United Kingdom || ??
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| NNS Hadejia (P 168)|| Makurdi Class ||

United Kingdom || ??
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| NNS Jebba (P 171)|| Makurdi Class ||

United Kingdom || ??
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| NNS Oguta (P 172)|| Makurdi Class ||

United Kingdom || ??
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| NNS Ruwan Yaro (A 497) || ?? || || decommissioned 2001
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Naval Aviation

Israel
| ??
| Purchased together with Unmanned Sea Vehicle (USV)

Unmanned surface vehicle

The term unmanned surface vehicle or autonomous surface vehicle refers to any vehicle that operates on the surface of the water without a crew. USVs have been tested since World War II but have been largely overshadowed. This is due to the fact the USVs, such as the OWL Mk II surveillance drone,...

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| Lynx helicopters

Westland Lynx

The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...

| Medium utility helicopter
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United Kingdom
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| Retired from service
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