By Harriet Tornguvan
As the Nigerian Navy marks its 70th anniversary, the service has highlighted decades of transformation, operational successes and growing regional influence, describing its journey as one marked by resilience, innovation and strategic relevance.
The Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Admiral Akinola Olatunde Olodude, made this known while briefing journalists on activities lined up for the Navy’s platinum jubilee celebrations scheduled to run from May 21 to June 4, 2026.
Olodude said the anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on the Navy’s remarkable evolution from a modest coastal policing force established in 1956 into what he described as a formidable maritime institution projecting power across the Gulf of Guinea and beyond.
According to him, the Navy began as the Naval Defence Force on June 1, 1956, with just 250 officers and men and 11 inherited vessels from the colonial marine department. It later became the Royal Nigerian Navy in 1958 before assuming its present identity after Nigeria became a republic in 1963 and was formally established through an Act of Parliament in 1964.
He noted that seven decades later, the Navy now boasts over 34,000 personnel and has emerged as a critical instrument of national security, regional stability and maritime diplomacy.
Olodude recalled the Navy’s early strategic role during the Nigerian Civil War between 1967 and 1970, where it secured sea lines, disrupted hostile supply routes and carried out amphibious operations that contributed significantly to preserving Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
Beyond Nigeria’s shores, he said the Navy had consistently distinguished itself in international peace support operations.
He cited missions in Lebanon during the 1970s, where naval platforms delivered medical and logistics supplies to Nigerian peacekeepers, as well as operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone under regional peacekeeping arrangements.
According to him, the Navy provided combat support, enforced maritime embargoes and transported troops and humanitarian supplies during those operations.
He further highlighted the Navy’s deployment to the Caribbean in 2017 and its participation in the regional stabilisation mission in Guinea Bissau in 2022, which he said strengthened Nigeria’s maritime strategic profile.
These efforts, Olodude added, culminated in the signing of a Strategic Sealift Memorandum of Understanding with the African Union in 2025, empowering the Nigerian Navy to support continental peacekeeping, disaster response and humanitarian operations.
On maritime security, the naval chief pointed to one of the Navy’s most celebrated achievements Nigeria’s removal from the global piracy-prone list since 2022.
He said sustained naval patrols and coordinated maritime operations had helped secure Nigeria’s waters and improved confidence in shipping and international trade.
“Nigeria has remained off the international piracy watch list since 2022, with attendant benefits including reduced shipping and insurance costs,” he said.
Olodude also emphasised the Navy’s growing hydrographic and shipbuilding capacity.
He explained that the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Office had enhanced safe navigation through detailed charting of key maritime routes and harbours, while naval dockyards had constructed five vessels since 2010, including ferries and seaward defence boats.
He disclosed that ongoing projects include a 37-metre ferry under construction in Port Harcourt and two 44.2-metre seaward defence boats being built in Lagos.
According to him, the Navy’s shipbuilding capability has also attracted foreign patronage, with naval dockyards reportedly refitting and constructing vessels for regional partners.
The Navy’s contribution to internal security and economic protection also featured prominently.
Olodude said naval operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining in the Niger Delta had significantly supported national crude oil production targets.
Citing figures from the national oil sector, he said average crude production rose from 1.25 million barrels per day in January 2023 to 1.71 million barrels daily by April 2026.
He attributed this increase partly to sustained anti-oil theft operations conducted jointly with other security agencies.
He stressed, however, that tackling pipeline vandalism and crude theft requires stronger collaboration between international oil companies and host communities.
According to him, unresolved disputes between communities and oil firms often create vulnerabilities that criminal elements exploit.
“The communities where these assets are located must develop ownership and work closely with operators. Where relationships break down, the Navy has to work harder to restore stability and protect infrastructure,” he said.
Olodude said the Navy continues to improve surveillance and interdiction capabilities through the acquisition of specialised platforms and advanced technologies, including drones capable of monitoring difficult terrains and creeks.
Perhaps the most symbolic recognition of the Navy’s growth, he said, came from the 2026 Global Firepower ranking, which reportedly rated the Nigerian Navy as the strongest naval fleet in Africa.
For Olodude, however, the true measure of success lies not only in rankings but in the institution’s transformation from inherited colonial vessels to an indigenous fleet capable of building, maintaining and deploying its own ships while supporting regional maritime security.
“From 250 personnel and inherited crafts to becoming Africa’s strongest fleet and a respected maritime partner, Nigerians have every reason to celebrate their Navy at 70,” he said.
The anniversary celebrations will feature religious services, project commissioning, community outreach, sporting events and an international maritime exhibition.
The Navy will also host foreign naval delegations and maritime leaders from Africa and beyond.
A major highlight will be the International Fleet Review and the commissioning of three naval vessels by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Eko Atlantic Waterfront in Lagos.
The event will also witness the operational launch of the Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea, a multinational initiative endorsed by the African Union and involving Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia to combat maritime crime across the region.
Looking ahead, Olodude said the Nigerian Navy remains committed to becoming a technology-driven and networked blue-water force capable of confronting emerging security threats while safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests and strengthening stability across Africa.
