Apart from one of the three Armed Forces that protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria against any external aggression that may want to threaten Nigeria through the waterways, Nigerian Navy is an institution, well organised to manage crisis that may arise.
In this post we will cover the structure of Nigerian Navy. By structure we mean how it’s segmented in a such a way to avoid bureaucracy in the discharge of its constitutional duties.
Nigerian Navy is headed by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) whose office is domiciled at the Naval Headquarters.
Branches in the Nigerian Navy
The CNS is assisted by all the heads of the 8 branches each administered by a Branch Chief of flag rank.
The branches in Nigerian Navy include:
- Policy and Plans
- Training and Operations
- Naval Engineering
- Logistics
- Account & Budget
- Naval Safety and Standards
- Administration
- Office of the Navy Secretary
Heads of the above branches report directly to CNS, however there are other offices that report directly to the Chief of Naval Staff.
They include
- Nigerian Navy Transformation Office (NNTO),
- Project Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (PIMED)
- Nigerian Navy Holdings
There are 5 commands headed by Flag Officers Commanding (FOCs)
The commands are made up of 3 operational commands namely:
- Western Naval Command (WNC),
- Eastern Naval Command (ENC)
- Central Naval Commands (CNC)
The aforementioned command are responsible for the protection and policing of the Nigeria’s maritime environment.
4. Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC)
5. Logistics Command (LOG COMD).
Nigerian Navy is made 5 autonomous units
The autonomous units in the NN are:
- Nigerian Naval Dockyard (NND),
- Nigerian Naval Shipyard (NNSY),
- Naval Ordnance Depot (NOD),
- Nigerian Navy Holdings Limited (NNHL)
- Naval Doctrine and Assessment Centre (NDAC)
Function of Nigerian Naval Dockyard and Nigerian Naval Shipyard
The NND and NNSY carry out third line maintenance and docking of NN ships.
Function of Naval Ordnance Depot (NOD)
Naval Ordnance Depot (NOD) is responsible for storing Nigerian Navy arms and ammunition and a limited storage for the NA, NAF and some paramilitary units. These units and facilities enable the NN to maintain the fleet for sustained operations.
The above is the Nigerian Navy structure which has been effective in protecting Nigerian’s waterways.