The Nigerian Navy has intensified efforts to deepen indigenous shipbuilding capacity, revealing that it has constructed five locally built vessels since 2010, while additional defence boats and a ferry are currently under construction in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
Akinola Olatunde, Chief of Policy and Plans, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing in Abuja ahead of activities lined up for the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary celebrations.
Olatunde, who represented Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff, said the Navy had evolved significantly from inheriting a few crafts at independence to emerging as the strongest naval fleet in Africa.
According to him, one of the Navy’s most notable achievements over the decades has been the development of indigenous shipbuilding capability.
“Furthermore, the Navy has embarked on shipbuilding and has constructed five vessels since 2010. These include a ferry, a dockboat and three seaward defence boats,” he said.
