Nigerian Navy
| Nigerian Navy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1958–present |
| Country |
 Nigeria |
| Type | Navy |
| Part of |
Ministry of Defence Nigerian Armed Forces |
| Motto | "Onward Together" |
| Website | http://www.navy.mil.ng/ |
| Commanders | |
| Chief of Naval Staff | Vice Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin |
| Insignia | |
| Naval Ensign |
 |
| Naval Ensign (1960-1998) |
 |
The Nigerian Navy (NN) is a branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Nigerian Navy is among the largest Navies on the African continent, consisting of several personnel, including those of the Coast Guard.
Brief History
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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, a unit established in 1887 by the British Colonial Government. This force expanded to become the Southern Nigerian Marine in 1893. A Northern Nigeria equivalent was formed in 1900. The two Marines were merged in 1914, after Nigeria came under a single colonial administration. The responsibilities 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 component as part of its overall 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 reorganisation led to the establishment of three new bodies to undertake the various functions hitherto carried out by the Marine Department.
The first of these 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 had been transferred to the Nigerian Ports Authority from the defunct Nigerian Marine. These officers and men had 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. Its primary responsibility was to train the personnel and set up the appropriate infrastructure necessary for the planned Navy. The first basic training establishment 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 1 May 1958, a colonial ordinance formally placed 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.
In July 1959, the Nigerian Naval Force was transformed into a full-fledged Navy when Queen Elizabeth 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 “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 hydrographic surveys, and training 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, 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.[1]
Command Structure
The Naval Headquarters (NHQ)
The Naval Headquarters (NHQ) is the administrative and policy-making organ of the Nigerian Navy. At its head is the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), who exercises full command of the NN. The CNS has seven 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, and Standards and Evaluation. These branches are headed by Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) of flag rank.
Directly under the Naval Headquarters (NHQ) are three operational commands (Western Naval Command, Eastern Naval Command, and Central Naval Command), one training command, 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:
- Headquarters Western Naval Command
- Western Fleet at Apapa.
- NNS BEECROFT, an operations base at Apapa.
- Naval Air Base, 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 BADAGRY in Ondo and Lagos States respectively.
- Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Abeokuta.
- Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo.
- Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ogbomoso.
The Eastern Naval Command
The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is the second operations command of the NN and 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.
- Naval Air Station, Calabar (to be constructed)
- Forward Operating Bases(FOB) BONNY and IBAKA in Rivers 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.
Central Naval Command
The Central naval Command (CNC) is the third operations command of the NN. The headquarters is on Brass Island in Bayelsa State. Its Area of Respnsibility (AOR) stretches from the Benin River entrance (Long 0050 00'E) to the Santa Barbara River entrance (Long 0060 30'E), encompassing the coastal states of Bayelsa, Delta, and Edo, and the landward states, including Kogi.
The Command has the following units under its jurisdiction:
- NNS DELTA, an operations base in Warri, Delta State
- Naval Air Station, Effurun-Warri, Delta State
- Navy Hospital, Warri, Delta State
- Forward Operating Bases (FOB) ESCRAVOS and FORMOSO in Delta and Bayelsa States respectively
- NNS LUGARD, an inland operations base on the River Niger at Lokoja, Kogi State.
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 nine 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 provides various professional courses for officers and ratings.
- Nigerian Navy Engineering College (NNEC) Sapele, which provides technical training for 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 two establishments conduct basic training for officers and ratings respectively.
- Other professional schools, including the Medical Staff Training Schoolat Offa in Kwara State and the NN School of Music Otta in Ogun State , and the Hydrographic School in Port Harcourt, the Naval Provost and Regulating School in Benue State, the Nigerian Navy Intelligence School, and the Physical Training School, both at Apapa, Lagos.
The Logistics Command
The Logistics Command is headed by a FOC of Rear Admiral rank. The permanent HQ of the Command is at Oghara, Delta State. However, the Nigerian Navy Order establishing the Logistics Command has been released and the command has since started operation. The Order stipulates the organization and responsibilities of the Command.
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 size, 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 had been carried out either in foreign dockyards 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 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. It operated AgustaWestland Lynx helicopters for anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue (SAR) operations from the Meko class frigate NNS Aradu. For quite some time, the Squadron has operated Agusta 109 Helicopters from Warri Naval Base on anti-smuggling and oil protection duties.[2]
Organization onboard NN ships
There are four 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 on smaller ships. On larger ships the XO remains the second in command, but 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.[3]
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service (SBS) is a special operations unit of the Nigerian Navy. It is a male only outfit fashioned after the Royal Navy's Special Boat Service. It is 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.[4]
Nigerian Navy Fleet
Frigates / Offshore Patrol Vessels
active
| Ship name and Pennant no. | Class | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNS Aradu (F89) | MEKO 360 Type H1 Frigate |  Germany | Active |
| NNS Thunder (F90) | Hamilton class cutter/OPV |  United States | active |
| NNS Centenary (F91) | P18N Class |  China | active |
| NNS Unity (F92) | P18N Class | China | active |
| NNS Okpabana (F93) | Hamilton class cutter/OPV | United States | active |
Fast Attack Craft / Patrol Boats
| Ship name and Pennant no. | Class | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNS Andoni (P100) | Seaward Defence Boat | Nigeria | Built at the Nigerian Naval Dockyard 2012 |
| NNS Ekpe (P178) | Luerssen FPB57 Fast Patrol Boat | Germany | |
| NNS Damisa (P179) | Luerssen FPB57 Fast Patrol Boat | Germany | |
| NNS Agu (P180) | Luerssen FPB57 Fast Patrol Boat | Germany | |
| NNS Siri (P181) | Combattante IIIB Fast Attack Craft |  France | |
| NNS Ayam (P182) | Combattante IIIB Fast Attack Craft | France | |
| NNS Ekun (P183) | Combattante IIIB Fast Attack Craft | France | |
| NNS Burutu (P174) | Sea Eagle Fast Patrol Craft |  Singapore | |
| NNS Zaria (P173) | Sea Eagle Fast Patrol Craft | Singapore | |
Patrol Cutters
| Ship name and Pennant no. | Class | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNS Kyanwa (A 501) | Class C, buoy tender | United States | ex USCGC Sedge (WLB-402)[5] |
| NNS Ologbo (A 502) | Class A, buoy tender | United States | ex USCGC Cowslip (WLB-277).[6] |
| NNS Nwamba (A 503) | Class C, buoy tender | United States | ex USCGC Firebush (WLB-393)[7] |
| NNS Obula (A 504) | Class C, buoy tender | United States | ex USCGC Sassafras (WLB-401).[8] |
Inshore Patrol Craft
| Type | In service | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaldag MK2 Class Fast Patrol Boat | 5[9] |  Israel | |
| Manta Class Patrol Boat | 22[9] | Singapore | |
| Defender Class Boat (RB-S) | 15 | United States |
Minesweepers
| Ship name and Pennant no. | Class | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNS Ohue (M371) | Lerici Class Coastal minesweeper |  Italy | |
| NNS Barama (M372) | Lerici Class Coastal minesweeper | Italy |
| Ship name and Pennant no. | Class | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNS Ambe (LST1312) | Ro-Ro Landing Ship, Tank | Germany | |
Others
| Ship name and Pennant no. | Class | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NNS Lana (A 498) | Bulldog class survey vessel |  United Kingdom | |
| NNS Amariya | Presidential yacht and training ship[10] | ||
| NNS Argungu (P 165) | Argungu Class | Germany | |
| NNS Yola (P 166) | Argungu Class | Germany | |
| NNS Bras (P 169) | Argungu Class | Germany | |
| NNS Epe (P 170) | Argungu Class | Germany | |
| NNS Makurdi (P 167) | Makurdi Class | United Kingdom | |
| NNS Hadejia (P 168) | Makurdi Class | United Kingdom | |
| NNS Jebba (P 171) | Makurdi Class | United Kingdom | |
| NNS Oguta (P 172) | Makurdi Class | United Kingdom | |
| NNS Ruwan Yaro (A 497) | |||
| NNS Prosperity | Emer Class |  Ireland | Training ship |
Naval Aviation
| Aircraft | Type | Origin | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agusta A109 helicopter | Light utility helicopter | Italy |
8 | |
| Aeronautics Aerostar | Reconnaissance UAV | Israel |
?? | |
| Westland Lynx | Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopter | United Kingdom |
(3) | inactive |
- The Nigerian Navy is interested in acquiring former American CH-46 Sea Knight and SH-2 Seasprite helicopters.[11]
Chief of Naval Staff
- Vice Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin
References
- ↑ http://www.navy.mil.ng/History
- ↑ http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Helicopter-Markets-and-Systems/Nigerian-Navy-Air-Arm-Nigeria.html
- ↑ The Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), HISTORY, ROLES AND ORGANIZATION OF THE NIGERIAN NAVY
- ↑ http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/featurettes/2009/dec/25/Featurettes-25-12-2009-002.htm
- ↑ http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Sedge1944.asp
- ↑ http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Cowslip1942.asp
- ↑ http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/firebush_1944.asp
- ↑ http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Sassafras1943.asp
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://i-hls.com/2013/12/nigerian-navy-received-new-israeli-attack-boats/
- ↑ http://www.scribd.com/doc/6987054/Janes-Defence-Weekly-Jan3107
- ↑ - http://www.navair.navy.mil/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.NAVAIRNewsStory&id=5574, Mar 13, 2014
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