By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Nigerian Navy has announced activities for its 70th anniversary celebration, scheduled to hold from May 21 to June 4, 2026, across Lagos and naval formations nationwide, highlighting its transformation into a leading maritime force in Africa.
Speaking at an international press conference in Abuja, the Chief of Policy and Plans, Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Akinola Olotunde Olodude, said the anniversary marks the Navy’s journey from a modest coastal force established in 1956 into a formidable blue-water navy contributing to national security, regional peacekeeping and maritime stability.
He noted that the Navy played critical roles during the Nigerian Civil War, ECOWAS peace missions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, as well as several United Nations operations. He added that the Navy’s efforts contributed to Nigeria being removed from the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy-prone list since 2022.
Olodude said the Navy had also intensified anti-crude oil theft operations, contributing 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 in April 2026.
According to him, the Navy has advanced indigenous shipbuilding and vessel maintenance, including the construction of ferries and seaward defence boats, while the Naval Dockyard in Lagos recently refitted warships for the Beninois Navy.
He further disclosed that the 2026 Global Firepower Report ranked the Nigerian Navy as the strongest naval fleet in Africa.
The anniversary programme will feature religious services, sporting events, community outreach, fleet displays, an international maritime exhibition, symposiums and the commissioning of new vessels including NNS MAMBILA, NNS GURARA and NNS OLOIBIRI.
The celebrations are expected to attract foreign naval delegations, military chiefs and international maritime organisations, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu scheduled to review the International Fleet Review in Lagos on June 1, 2026.
Rear Admiral Olodude said the Navy remained committed to becoming a highly digitised and technology-driven maritime force capable of addressing emerging security threats in the Gulf of Guinea and across Africa.
