The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) are currently making moves to rehabilitate the strategic Forward Operational Base (FOB)of the Navy in Takwa Bay in Lagos.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Managing Director of the NPA; Mallam Habib Abdullahi while handing over three patrol boats to the Nigerian Navy at the NNS Beecroft in Apapa, Lagos.
The NPA boss told the naval top brass that the two maritime industry agencies’ plans to jointly rehabilitate the very strategic facilities.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) are currently making moves to rehabilitate the strategic Forward Operational Base (FOB)of the Navy in Takwa Bay in Lagos.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Managing Director of the NPA; Mallam Habib Abdullahi while handing over three patrol boats to the Nigerian Navy at the NNS Beecroft in Apapa, Lagos.
The NPA boss told the naval top brass that the two maritime industry agencies’ plans to jointly rehabilitate the very strategic facilities.
"I am proud to mention that to enhance our commitment to support the Nigerian Navy in surveillance of the nation's territorial waters with NIMASA, has plan to rehabilitate the Forward Operational Base (FOB) of the navy located at Takwa Bay.
The good news was broken when the NPA chief executive handed over keys to the three modern patrol boats that were acquired for the Navy by NPA to assist the navy in surveillance of the Lagos waters.
At the handover of the three patrol boats to the Navy at NNS Beecroft, in Lagos yesterday, Mallam Habib Abdullahi told the Chief of Naval Staff who was represented by Rear Admiral Samuel Alade that NPA’s gesture is primarily meant to enhance capacity of the service in its surveillance of the nation's maritime domain.
The NPA boss pointed out that as a responsible corporate organisation, the presentation of the boats to the Navy is a demonstration of the agency’s determination to collaborate and partner with other relevant government agencies to secure the nation's waters, both offshore and onshore.
“We are optimistic that these patrol boats, consisting of one 32 meters OCEA named NNS Dorina and two 17 meters MANTA boats named NNS TORIE and NNS. EGEDE with their unique operational features and capacities will augment the fleets of the Nigerian Navy in their search and rescue operations within the nation’s water front", he said.
"I am confident that the Nigerian Navy will make good use of these patrol boats for the purpose they are meant for and this is imperative considering the colossal amount of money expended to procure them from the meagre resources of the authority”, Abdullahi noted.
On his part Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral U.O Jubrin represented by Rear Admiral Samuel Alade reiterated that the collaborative efforts of Navy and NPA to keep the maritime space safe and secure are for economic activities to thrive.
Alade said that the Nigeria's maritime space is of immense importance to the nation's economy wellbeing, adding that, “this is because most of the nation's maritime assets, such as major seaports, like Apapa and Tin Can ports are located therein".
He added that the acquisition of the platform is a notable step in the joint effort towards the establishment of an FOB in Takwa Bay as a strategy aimed at securing the ever busy Lagos waters against the activities of pirates, illegal oil Bunkerers and pipeline vandals.
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