The Nigerian Navy has boosted its patrol vessels with 10 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBS).
The boats were from Paramount Maritime.
The boats include 8.5 metre and 9.5 metre Guardian fast patrol vessels, which are part of a total consignment of 14 vessels.
Recently, Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), confirmed that the Nigerian Navy has commissioned into service, 16 new vessels, including 10 small boats and six patrol vessels, which will be used to enhance maritime security and protect the country’s oil and gas assets.
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Re-echoing the position of Dan-Ali, the Senior Vice President of Paramount Group, Eric Ichikowitz said: “The procurement of these vessels by the Ministry of Defence demonstrates the Government’s commitment to strengthening the Nigerian Navy in their critical role of safeguarding the country’s blue ocean economy.
“Under the leadership and stewardship of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the Nigerian Navy has been substantially increasing the capacity and the capability of the Nigerian’s security services in combating the ever increasing acts of piracy and intimidation in the Gulf of Guinea, and in the Niger Delta.”
Ichikowitz added: “Our portable manufacturing model enables in-country manufacturing, the transfer of technology and skills, and the creation of local job opportunities.
“Depending on the requirements of the client this could also result in the rolling out of a defence industrial complex, thus creating significant benefits for the economy.
“We are very proud of our partnership with the Nigerian Navy and through such strategic alliances we can bolster the local shipbuilding industry, economic growth and social development.”
As part of Paramount Maritime’s contract to supply the Guardian vessels to Nigeria, the company also provided training for Nigerian Navy SBS, maintenance and technical personnel.
This included product familiarisation training, as well as handover and acceptance testing of the four new 9.5m Guardian Fast Patrol Boats to the Nigerian Special Boat Service (SBS) at the Navy Base on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.