The much-touted patrol boats that were recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the Nigeria Customs Service are being built in South Africa.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed yesterday that a Cape Town, South Africa-based company; Kobus Naval Design (KND) has received an order for two P249 patrol boats each of 24 metres for Nigeria Customs Service.
The Customs is expected to use the vessels to combat smuggling and piracy in Nigerian waters.
The much-touted patrol boats that were recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the Nigeria Customs Service are being built in South Africa.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed yesterday that a Cape Town, South Africa-based company; Kobus Naval Design (KND) has received an order for two P249 patrol boats each of 24 metres for Nigeria Customs Service.
The Customs is expected to use the vessels to combat smuggling and piracy in Nigerian waters.
Kobus Potgieter, CEO of Kobus Naval Design (KND), confirmed that his company had received the order and would deliver the vessels in 10 months’ time.
Our correspondent also confirmed that the South African company has a West Africa partner who was simply identified as Rear Admiral Akpan (rtd) who prevailed on relevant government authourities to clinch the N3Billion deal.
It was also learnt that prior to the Customs boat, KND had built about four of such boats. The company is reportedly also busy with dive boat contracts for the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
A copy of the agreement between Customs and KND which was sighted by our correspondent also indicate a training component of the contract.
Apart from clearly indicating that the aluminum-hulled vessels will be delivered in 10 months, a Nigerian marine logistics and support service provider Portplus Limited will also provide the training of 71 crew as well as the provision of spares over a three year period.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the Federal Executive Council had on May 9, 2012 announced the approved contract for the procurement of the tow high speed patrol boats to boost the Nigeria Customs Service marine operations at the cost of N3, 072,653,164.60
The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, had stated that the boats will go a long way in complementing other law enforcement agencies in checking smuggling on the waterways.
“An effective patrolled water front will go a long way in curtailing the huge economic drain and threat the incidence of smuggling pose to the nation’s manufacturing sector”, he had stated also.
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