Nigerian Built Warship Marks One Year Anniversary

Nigerian built war ship in remarkable one year anniversary
The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria has commended the immense contribution of NNS Andoni, a Nigerian war ship built in 2011 by local expertise in the Nigerian Navy.
The President of Council, Dr Kasshim Ali, toldreporters that contributions like the building of the Naval Ship that showed Nigerian's capacity to develop resources andinfrastructure to drive the economy must beencouraged.
Andoni vital roles
He noted that the ship had empowered the Nigerian Navy in securing the waterways.
Voice of Nigeria's defence correspondent, Chiamaka Ikechukwu, reports that the Nigerian Navy Ship, Andoni, has played vital role in Nigeria's maritime domain.
The ship has help in maintaining constant presence at sea to check illegal bunkering, piracy, sea robbery, illegal fishing, poaching,hijacking and arms smuggling in line with the Nigerian Navy's constitutional roles, she explained.
The commendation by the council comes one year after President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned NNS Andoni at the Headquarters of the Western Naval Command in Lagos the commercial center ofNigeria.
The Ship has participated in two major exercises. The first is the Chief of the Naval Staff Fleet Evaluation Exercise, code named Ex FARAUTA which lasted for a period of seven days at sea followed by Ex ICUHNTA which also lasted for three days.
NNS Andoni has been conducting a number of patrols particularly within the Western Naval Command.
With the ship, the Nigerian Navy interceptedone hundred and twelve vessels suspected to be engaged in illegal activities including a Russian Service Boat, MYRE SEADIVER, which was arrested with arms and ammunition at Lagos Anchorage on October 19 2012.
Capitalize on the capacity
In support of the Nigeria Navy's war against piracy from August 29 to 30 2012, NNS Andoni participated in the search and rescueoperation of a vessel that was hijacked off the Coast of Lome in Togo and diverted it into the Nigerian waters.
Dr. Kasshim Ali applauded the current role being played by NNS Andoni.
They can go to a higher level, build bigger ship and if they do that over a long time there may be no need to import ships and that will save a lot of money for the government. That is what has happened in other countries. What they have to do was to capitalize on the capacity of their indigenes to develop their resources and infrastructures ­ because that way you have the people who did the work available to dothe maintenance, he stated.
He said the availability of accurate infrastructure and equipment in Nigeria would lead to the delivery of world class services and advance the economy
Though the construction of NNS Andoni was a challenging and rare experience for the naval team of engineers and others experts, the ship has so far attained over eight hundred hours at sea and covered over six thousand nautical miles.