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…as some Africa countries seek collaboration with NDL
After about 20 months of comprehensive refitting exercise by the Nigeria Naval Dockyard Limited on Benin Navy Ship “Matelot Brice Kpomasse P798”, she has finally left Nigeria to her country, Republic of Benin.
This is a giant leap for Nigeria’s dominance in maritime engineering capability. As a result, the Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Shehu has disclosed on Thursday that several other countries like Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, have expressed enthusiasm in partnering with the Nigerian Navy’s Naval Dockyard Limited for ship maintenance and refit projects.
While making the disclosed shortly before the the departure of the Benin Navy Ship “Matelot Brice Kpomassé” (BNS MBK) from the Naval Dockyard in Victoria Island, Lagos, said such inquiries began after observing NDL’s ongoing technical collaboration with the Republic of Benin.
According to Rear Admiral Shehu, “Not long after I assumed command, we began receiving inquiries from defence advisers representing countries such as Equatorial Guinea, Congo, and Gabon.
“While discussions are still at preliminary stages, they have all shown interest in what we are doing with the Republic of Benin Navy. We look forward to building on this engagement to strengthen regional maritime cooperation”.
Rear Admiral Shehu explained that the partnership with Benin Republic falls under the Yaoundé Architecture, a multilateral framework designed to enhance maritime security, fight piracy across the Gulf of Guinea.
“This partnership ensures more vessels are available between both countries to patrol our collective maritime environment. It will help us jointly secure our waters, protect shared resources, and promote economic development within the sub-region,” he further elaborated.
Rear Admiral Shehu noted that with the completion of three BNS, work on three other vessels were ongoing and expected to be completed before the end of the year.
He noted that in the worst case scenario, the three ships would be delivered early 2026 due to minor technical adjustments discovered during sea trials.
“Our welders, mechanics, and engineers are certified and periodically assessed by classification societies. We adhere to global best practices in machinery and structural works, and our technical teams are trained to meet or exceed international benchmarks,” he added.
On his part, the Chief of Naval Staff of Benin Republic, Commodore Dossa Alexandre Hounkpatin, who was represented by the Director of Military Organisation and Personnel, Captain Mohamed Idrissou, expressed satisfaction with volleys of commendation to Nigeria’s technical expertise, noting that it was a “game-changer” for his country’s naval capability.
“Before now, we took our ships to faraway countries like China and France for maintenance. It was costly and inefficient. But with Nigeria, help is just two hours away. This partnership saves us time, money, and keeps our fleet operational.
“Maritime security is a shared challenge in the Gulf of Guinea. By maintaining our ships and keeping them at sea 24 hours a day, we ensure that no weak link exists along our coastline,” he reiterated
