Nigerian Navy At 70: Ahoy!

The Nigerian Navy is inviting almost everyone to dinner as it rolls out the drums in celebration of what is, unarguably, 70 eventful years of service to the nation. In an individual’s life, 70 years are remarkable. The Holy Book noted that a man’s lifespan is 70. But those seafarers are not having any of it, insisting that the number, spectacular as it is, points to a new phase in the existence of an institution that rose from humble beginnings to become Africa’s best.

Actually, the Global Firepower Report 2026 ranked the Nigerian Navy as the strongest naval fleet in Africa. A no mean achievement.

As a newspaper, we share the view that it is a historic milestone for a military outfit that, over the years, has maintained a good account of itself in maritime service, national unity, and regional security leadership.

It also offers an opportunity to reflect on the Navy’s transformation from a modest coastal policing force into a formidable blue-water navy with continental influence.

Historically, the Nigerian Navy came into being on June 1, 1956, when it was established as the Naval Defence Force with only 250 personnel and 11 inherited vessels from the Colonial Marine Department of the Royal Navy.

The service later became the Royal Nigerian Navy in 1958 and adopted its present name after Nigeria became a republic in 1963.

The Navy was formally established by Act No. 21 of 1964 as a branch of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, with Vice Admiral Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey as the first Nigerian to head the Navy, and laid the foundation for the institution’s growth into a respected maritime force.

At a critical point in the nation’s life with the onset of a needless civil war, the Navy successfully secured sea routes, protected logistics channels and conducted amphibious operations that contributed significantly to preserving the country’s unity.

Beyond national duties, the Nigerian Navy has consistently contributed to international peacekeeping operations. During the United Nations Mission in Lebanon in the 1970s, the Navy transported medical supplies and logistical support to Nigerian troops serving under the UN Interim Force in that country.

Similarly, it proved its relevance by serving as the backbone of military operations during the ECOMOG missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

It won its spurs significantly by enforcing maritime embargoes, conducting combat patrols, providing naval gunfire support, and transporting troops, equipment, and humanitarian aid across conflict zones.

The Navy also demonstrated strategic capability during the ECOWAS intervention in The Gambia in 2017 and the stabilisation mission in Guinea-Bissau in 2022.

It is not a surprise, therefore, that these successful deployments strengthened Nigeria’s position as a regional security leader and contributed to the African Union’s 2025 sealift agreement with the Nigerian Navy.

In the maritime security sphere, due to its sustained anti-piracy operations, Nigeria has remained off the International Maritime Bureau’s list of piracy-prone nations since 2022. This achievement helped reduce shipping risks and insurance costs and improved international maritime confidence in Nigeria.

Other achievements of the Navy during the period under review were in hydrography. The Nigerian Navy charted the Lagos Harbour, Calabar Channel, Igbokoda waterways and Oguta Lake to improve safe navigation within Nigeria’s maritime domain.

Experts on naval matters insist that these efforts have enhanced marine transportation and maritime trade.

The Nigerian Navy has made significant progress in indigenous shipbuilding. Since 2010, the Navy has built five vessels, including ferries, tugboats and seaward defence boats. Naval shipyards in Port Harcourt and Lagos are currently constructing additional vessels for both military and civilian use.

It is on record that the Naval Dockyard Limited in Lagos recently refitted three warships for the Benin Republic Navy between 2024 and 2025 and is currently working on three more vessels. Without doubt, these developments underscore Nigeria’s growing naval engineering and maintenance capability within the region.

This is even as it continues to support operationally counter-terrorism, anti-crude oil theft and internal security operations alongside other security agencies. In this regard, the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service has played a key role in combating illegal refining activities and safeguarding oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta.

It is remarkable that the Navy’s anti-crude oil theft operations have contributed to a rise in Nigeria’s crude oil production from 1.258 million barrels per day in January 2023 to 1.71 million barrels per day as of April 2026. Looking ahead, the Navy reaffirmed its commitment to becoming a technologically advanced and networked blue-water force capable of addressing emerging maritime threats.

To actualise this intention, there are already upcoming initiatives such as the Seapower for Africa Symposium, induction of new patrol vessels and the Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea. These would further strengthen maritime security across Africa while sustaining Nigeria’s strategic leadership at sea. The chief of Naval Staff attributed these successes to sustained strategic investments in the force’s capabilities and infrastructure.