By Ibrahim Khalil
The Nigerian Navy (NN) says it had took delivery of a state-of-the-art Offshore Survey Vessel (OSV) recently, as part of another move towards optimizing the functionality of Nigeria’s Blue Economy.
Commodore A Adams Aliu Director of Information made this known in a statement on Saturday.
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He said a French shipbuilding company OCEA SA, successfully delivered the cutting-edge OSV 115 vessel to the NN in Apapa Lagos on 17 April 2024.
He also said the OSV 115, designed and manufactured by OCEA SA, is a 35-meter vessel built for scientific hydrographic and oceanographic missions.
“Equipped with progressive technology, including medium/shallow water multi-beam echo-sounders and other essential survey equipment, the vessel is primed to conduct in-depth surveys in shallow and medium waters.”
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“This latest addition to the NN fleet will operate in tandem with the OSV 190 “NNS LANA,” also built and delivered by OCEA in 2021.”
The Director stated that the primary role of the vessel is to conduct hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, supporting the ongoing NN efforts to safeguard Nigerian territorial waters and optimize the current administration’s Blue Economy initiatives.
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It should be recalled that the NN commenced local production of internationally recognized nautical charts in 2019 and the newly acquired OSV will further improve NN hydrographic charting proficiency.
The delivery of the OSV 115 vessel comes with comprehensive support services, including training, spare parts, tooling, and necessary documentation, ensuring seamless integration and operation within the Nigerian Navy’s fleet.
“The CNS remains grateful to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his unwavering support to the NN in her fleet renewal aspirations.”
