Nigerian navy seeks technological growth, military self-reliance at 70
By Abiodun Folarin
The Nigerian Navy has identified technological advancement, cyber security, and local military production as key priorities as the service marks its 70th anniversary amid evolving security threats and growing demands for regional maritime stability.
Chief of Policy and Plans at Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Akinola Olatunde, stated this on Thursday during an international press briefing in Abuja ahead of the Navy’s 70th anniversary celebrations.
Olatunde said the Navy had undergone remarkable transformation since its establishment in 1956, evolving from a coastal policing force into a strategic institution playing critical diplomatic, military, and regional security roles.
According to him, the service has grown “from a modest coastal policing navy into a formidable instrument of national power, regional stability and blue-water prestige through resilience and strategic adaptability.”
He noted, however, that emerging threats such as cyber warfare, autonomous systems, and transnational crimes continue to pose major operational challenges to the Navy.
“We need to improve in the areas of cyber security and in responding to evolving crimes, including attempts to move drugs from neighbouring countries into Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking on underwater warfare and submarines, Olatunde explained that Nigeria’s current security realities do not place submarine threats among the country’s immediate defence priorities.
“We have drones that operate on autonomous systems, but regarding submarines, countries acquire such platforms based on long-term threat assessments. Within Africa, underwater threats are not among our top priorities for now, though we continue to monitor global developments,” he explained.
The naval chief also stressed the importance of military self-reliance, recalling the difficulties Nigeria faced in procuring weapons and military hardware during the Civil War.
“We would have loved to be further ahead in terms of technology and research development. One major lesson from the Civil War is that the armed forces must strive for independence in military production,” he said.
He added that the military was intensifying efforts toward self-sufficiency in shipbuilding, weapons systems, and other technology-driven areas.
“There was a time the country was denied access to procure armaments, forcing us to depend on other parts of the world. That is why the military is looking at ways to become self-sufficient, not just in ship production, but also in weapons systems and other technological areas,” he added.
The Nigerian Navy was established on June 1, 1956, as the Naval Defence Force with 250 officers and men, alongside 11 ships inherited from the Colonial Marine Department of the Royal Navy. It became the Royal Nigerian Navy in 1958 before adopting its current name in 1963 after Nigeria became a republic.
The modern Nigerian Navy was formally established under Act No. 21 of 1964 as a statutory branch of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, with Commodore J.E.A. Wey becoming the first Nigerian to head the service.
