President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, represented by Vice President His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima GCON, commissioned three warships and two helicopters at the Nigerian Navy’s Naval Dockyard Limited in Lagos. This event also marked the inauguration of the Regional Maritime Exercise (REMEX) and the opening of the Nigerian Navy International Maritime Conference (IMC) 2024, celebrating the Navy’s 68th anniversary.

In his address, President Tinubu commended the Nigerian Navy and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, for their efforts in ensuring maritime security. He referred to the Navy as the “lifeguards of Nigeria’s maritime environment,” highlighting their successful operations against crude oil theft, which have significantly boosted oil production in the country.

The newly commissioned assets include:
– NNS OCHUZOR, a 35-meter Hydrographic Survey Vessel
– NNS CHALAWA, a 32-meter Seaward Defence Boat (SDB)
– NNS ZUR, another 32-meter Seaward Defence Boat (SDB)
– Helicopter NN 412
– Helicopter NN 414

Vice President Shettima flagged off REMEX, codenamed “ABO-OKUN,” from the Helo-Deck of NNS KADA. The exercise involves naval ships from Brazil, Cameroon, China, and 11 Nigerian Navy ships supported by two helicopters.

Day one of the IMC 2024 saw attendance from various countries, including the United States, South Korea, France, China, the United Kingdom, Spain, Russia, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, and Benin. The conference theme, “Promoting the Blue Economy in Africa through International Cooperation on Maritime Security,” aims to foster discussions on maximizing the benefits of the Blue Economy for economic growth.

The Nigerian Navy’s 68th anniversary celebrations underscore the high state of operational readiness under the leadership of Vice Admiral Ogalla and President Tinubu.