President Muhammadu Buhari says he is confident that the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Tinubu will maintain what he describes as the positive trajectory achieved during his own tenure.Buhari also said the President-elect would continue to provide crucial support to the Nigerian Navy.
Speaking at the Presidential Fleet Review held on Monday at the Naval Dockyard Limited, Victoria Island, Lagos, the President expressed immense satisfaction with the array of naval assets on display and combat readiness of the Nigerian military.
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday expressed confidence that the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu would continue to provide crucial support to the Nigerian Navy, maintaining the positive trajectory achieved during his own tenure.
He stated that he had no doubt that under Tinubu’s leadership, the Navy would continue to acquire new assets, expand shipbuilding for export purposes, promote indigenous production, intensify the fight against piracy, and address issues pertaining to crude oil theft.
He noted the significant reduction in piracy over the past seven years, leading to Nigeria’s removal from the list of piracy-prone countries by the International Maritime Bureau in March 2022.
He applauded the application of technology in securing the maritime domain, which facilitated intelligence-driven deployment of naval ships and enhanced their effectiveness.
The President commended the diligent prosecution of MT HEROIC IDUN, which was detected and apprehended for attempting to load crude oil without authorisation offshore Bonny in August 2022.
During the Fleet Review, Buhari also inaugurated several additions to the Navy’s fleet, including a new helicopter, NN410, manufactured in Italy, as well as the landing ship transport NNS KADA, constructed in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.