Maritime Security and Safety
Tantita Donates 15 Combat-Ready Gun Boats to Nigerian Navy, Army in Major Push to End Oil Theft Crisis
Tantita Donates 15 Combat-Ready Gun Boats to Nigerian Navy, Army in Major Push to End Oil Theft Crisis
Tantita Security Services commissions semi-ballistic vessels built entirely in Nigeria, signalling a new era of indigenous maritime security
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News Correspondent
PORT HARCOURT, Rivers State — In what maritime security analysts are describing as one of the most significant private-sector contributions to Nigeria’s anti-oil theft campaign in recent memory, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited on Thursday formally commissioned and donated 15 semi-ballistic, glass-reinforced gun boats to the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Army, in a colourful but purposeful ceremony held at the Nigerian Navy Shipyard Limited in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The handover, attended by senior military officers, government officials and key stakeholders from Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, marks a bold new chapter in the country’s ongoing effort to curb the haemorrhage of crude oil through theft, illegal bunkering, and the incessant vandalism of oil and gas pipelines — a crisis that has cost Nigeria billions of dollars in lost revenue and environmental damage over the past decade.
The 15 vessels were not imported. They were conceived, designed, and built on Nigerian soil — at the Nigerian Navy Shipyard Limited — under a contract expressly awarded by Tantita Security Services to ensure that local communities, local expertise, and indigenous industry benefit directly from the investment. That decision alone is being applauded as a rare and deliberate act of commitment to the Nigerian Content Act and the broader goal of building domestic industrial capacity.
Purpose-Built for Nigeria’s Waterways
Each of the gun boats is built to what officials described as world-class specifications. Engineered for the demanding and often treacherous terrain of Nigeria’s Niger Delta waterways — a labyrinthine network of creeks, estuaries, and offshore channels that have long served as cover for criminal oil syndicates — the vessels are designed for high-speed patrol, rapid interdiction, and sustained operational deployment.
With a crew capacity of seven per vessel, the boats are equipped to carry armed personnel and the equipment needed for extended waterway surveillance. Their semi-ballistic hull design provides both speed and resilience, while the glass-reinforced construction makes them well-suited to the corrosive saline and freshwater environments of the Delta region.
Eight of the gun boats were allocated to the Nigerian Navy, which operates extensively across the offshore and coastal belts of the Niger Delta and the Gulf of Guinea. The remaining seven were handed to the Nigerian Army, bolstering the riverine capacity of its troops who regularly conduct joint operations in the interior creeks of the Delta states.
A Ceremony Befitting the Moment
The handover ceremony drew a gathering reflective of the event’s national importance. Representing the Chief of Defence Staff as Special Guest of Honour was Major General E. E. Emekah, who presided over the official reception of the vessels on behalf of the Nigerian military.
Also in attendance were General Efe Edafioghor (rtd), who represented Tantita’s Managing Director, High Chief Engr. Kestin Pondi; Ms. Daisy Jaja; and Engr. Trevor Chuks Illide, among several other senior officials, military personnel, and industry stakeholders.
The Superintendent of the Naval Shipyard, Rear Admiral I. Ubani, was particularly effusive in his commendation of Tantita, noting that the partnership represents far more than a donation of equipment. According to him, it is a validation of Nigeria’s capacity to produce military-grade maritime assets domestically — a point of pride not just for the Navy, but for the entire Nigerian shipbuilding industry.
“This project is a boost for indigenous shipbuilding and local content development,” Rear Admiral Ubani stated, acknowledging that the successful completion and commissioning of 15 operational gun boats entirely within Nigeria sends a powerful message to the region and beyond.
Tantita Speaks: Protecting a National Asset
Delivering remarks on behalf of Tantita’s Managing Director, High Chief Engr. Kestin Pondi, General Efe Edafioghor (rtd) offered context for why the company chose to make this investment at this time.
He described the donation as a direct expression of Tantita Security Services’ philosophy — that private security companies operating in Nigeria’s oil sector carry a responsibility that goes beyond their contractual mandates. Protecting the country’s oil and gas infrastructure, he argued, is a national duty, and Tantita has chosen to fulfil that duty not merely with words, but with tangible assets.
“These boats reflect our continued commitment to securing Nigeria’s critical oil and gas infrastructure,” General Edafioghor said. “We did not import them. We built them here, in Nigeria, by Nigerians. That was a deliberate choice.”
He added that by awarding the construction contract to the Nigerian Navy Shipyard, Tantita ensured that skilled Nigerian engineers, welders, naval architects, and technicians were the ones who brought these vessels to life — generating employment, building technical knowledge, and demonstrating what Nigerian industry is capable of when given the opportunity.
Military Receives the Boats with Gratitude and Intent
Receiving the vessels on behalf of the Nigerian military, Major General Emekah expressed sincere appreciation to Tantita Security Services for what he described as a timely and strategically important contribution.
He assured all present that the boats would not be allowed to sit idle. They would be immediately integrated into ongoing security operations in the Niger Delta, deployed alongside existing assets to strengthen the capacity of both the Navy and Army to monitor, patrol, and where necessary, intercept criminal activities across Nigeria’s vast network of waterways.
The Major General’s remarks underscored the military’s awareness of how critical the maritime domain is to national security. Nigeria loses an estimated hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil per day to theft and pipeline vandalism — losses that directly undermine government revenues, reduce foreign exchange earnings, and damage the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians.
The Broader Picture: Tantita’s Growing Role in Maritime Security
Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, which was founded with a specific mandate to provide security for oil and gas assets in the Niger Delta, has in recent years emerged as one of the most prominent private security actors in the region. The company operates in close collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Army, and other security agencies, combining intelligence-driven operations with physical patrols and community engagement strategies.
The donation of 15 gun boats is the latest in a series of investments and partnerships through which Tantita has sought to complement the efforts of state security agencies — supplementing their capacity at a time when resources are stretched and criminal networks have grown increasingly sophisticated.
Industry observers note that by building the vessels locally, Tantita has also made a statement about the future direction of maritime security in Nigeria: one in which domestic industry plays a central role in equipping the country’s security forces, reducing dependence on imported assets, and keeping economic value within Nigerian borders.
Inspection and Looking Ahead
The ceremony concluded with a formal inspection of the newly commissioned gun boats, with senior military and Tantita officials walking the dock at the Nigerian Navy Shipyard to observe the vessels up close. The inspection served as a visible affirmation of the quality and readiness of the boats, and drew quiet nods of approval from those present who understand what it takes to produce capable, seaworthy vessels in Nigeria.
As the boats prepare to be formally deployed across the waterways of the Niger Delta and beyond, the hope — shared by Tantita, the military, and the communities that live along those waterways — is that their presence will deal a decisive blow to the criminal networks that have for too long treated Nigeria’s oil wealth as their personal resource.
For now, the commissioning of these 15 gun boats stands as evidence that the partnership between Nigeria’s private security sector and its military is deepening, and that the fight to protect the country’s waterways and its oil infrastructure is far from over.
Waterways News will continue to follow developments in Nigeria’s maritime security landscape.
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Nigerian Navy, UAE Forge Stronger Security Pact to Defend Gulf of Guinea Trade Routes
Nigerian Navy, UAE Forge Stronger Security Pact to Defend Gulf of Guinea Trade Routes
By Ighoyota Onaibre Waterways News Correspondent Lagos, May 20, 2026
The Nigerian Navy has taken a significant step to reinforce maritime security across the Gulf of Guinea, deepening its strategic alliance with the United Arab Emirates in a wide-ranging engagement centred on joint operations, naval technology transfer, and the fight against crude oil theft and piracy.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, held high-level talks with UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Saylem Saeed Alshamsi, with discussions covering expanded cooperation in maritime surveillance, indigenous shipbuilding, fleet modernisation, and coordinated action against sea robbery and hydrocarbon theft threatening Nigeria’s offshore waters.
Operation DELTA SENTINEL Draws UAE Praise
The UAE envoy used the occasion to commend the Nigerian Navy’s recent operational record, citing in particular the achievements of Operation DELTA SENTINEL, under which substantial volumes of stolen crude oil and refined petroleum products have been intercepted and seized.
The ambassador described the Navy’s sustained performance in securing regional waters and protecting critical maritime infrastructure as commendable, a diplomatic acknowledgement that carries weight at a time when Nigeria’s piracy-free streak in the Gulf of Guinea has begun to translate into measurable reductions in shipping insurance premiums for vessels trading Nigerian ports.
NNS KADA: Symbol of a Deepening Defence Partnership
Vice Admiral Abbas drew attention to the construction of the Nigerian naval vessel NNS KADA at the Sharjah shipyard in the UAE as a tangible expression of the growing defence and industrial relationship between both nations. He noted that the collaboration, if deepened, would accelerate the development of indigenous shipbuilding capacity, improve the operational readiness of the Nigerian fleet, and extend the reach of naval patrols across the broader Gulf of Guinea maritime zone.
The naval vessel’s construction in the UAE underscores the direction Nigeria is taking in seeking Gulf state partnerships to bridge capability gaps in its maritime security architecture — a strategic pivot with implications for how Nigeria polices its Exclusive Economic Zone and protects crude oil export infrastructure.
Nigeria Watch: What this means for port stakeholders, shipowners and freight operators
For cargo owners, shipowners and freight forwarders trading through Nigerian ports — from Apapa and Tin Can Island to the eastern terminals at Onne and Calabar — the Nigeria-UAE naval partnership signals continued commitment to securing the sea lanes on which their supply chains depend.
The Gulf of Guinea has historically been among the world’s most volatile maritime zones, with armed robbery at anchor, product tanker hijackings and crude oil bunkering costing Nigeria billions of dollars annually in lost revenues and elevated risk premiums. The Navy’s engagement with the UAE — a country with significant shipbuilding industrial base and Gulf maritime experience — points to a longer-term effort to rebuild fleet capacity and upgrade surveillance technology.
Crucially, any reduction in security incidents directly feeds into war risk and piracy insurance assessments applied to vessels calling Nigerian ports. NIMASA has already flagged the link between the Navy’s piracy-free run and falling insurance costs for Nigerian-bound vessels. Sustaining and extending that record — with UAE technical and operational support — remains central to the case for Nigeria as a competitive, lower-risk port destination in West Africa. Terminal operators and port investors tracking the security environment should regard this bilateral engagement as a positive medium-term signal.
Declining War Risk Surcharge Validates Nigeria’s Maritime Security Gains, Says NIMASA
Agency intensifies global campaign to end $400m annual drain on Nigerian trade as Deep Blue Project sustains piracy-free record
By Emetena Ikuku | Waterways News Correspondent, Lagos
The gradual reduction in war risk surcharges being applied to vessels calling at Nigerian ports is a direct reflection of the country’s dramatically improved maritime security environment, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said, even as the agency steps up international pressure to achieve the complete abolition of the levies.
NIMASA Director-General Dr. Dayo Mobereola, whose administration has placed the war risk insurance (WRI) campaign at the centre of its maritime reform agenda, made the point while stressing that Nigeria has not recorded a single piracy incident in over three years, and in 2021, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) officially removed Nigeria from its list of piracy-prone countries.
Despite this milestone, the financial burden on Nigerian trade remains severe. Available figures indicate that Nigeria has paid over $1.5 billion in the past three years alone to Lloyd’s of London, Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurance, and other foreign insurance firm. At the vessel level, the impact is equally stark: a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) valued at $130 million attracts a WRI surcharge of about $445,000 per voyage, while newer container vessels valued at $150 million face costs of up to $525,000 per voyage.
Deep Blue Record Goes Unacknowledged
NIMASA attributes Nigeria’s clean security record to sustained investment in the Integrated Maritime Security Architecture. The Deep Blue Project has successfully eliminated piracy in the country’s waters for over 30 consecutive months — a record unmatched anywhere in the world.
The IMO has taken note: IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has publicly commended Nigeria’s efforts in securing the Gulf of Guinea. In 2023, the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) further validated Nigeria’s progress by delisting the country from the list of high-risk maritime nations. Yet, the agency says, shipowners and underwriters have been slow to translate these verified gains into meaningful premium reductions.
Dr. Mobereola has been direct in his characterisation of the problem. He argued that war risk premiums are not being determined by actual risk levels but by a cartel profiting from the status quo, and that even a decade of zero incidents would not result in reductions unless Nigeria forces the issue.
Surcharges Compound Cost of Trade
The WRI levy is not the only additional cost weighing on Nigerian-bound cargo. Maersk has introduced a transit disruption surcharge of up to $450 per container, while other shipping lines impose a war risk surcharge of $40 to $50 per 20-foot equivalent unit. The compounding effect of these charges falls hardest on importers, freight forwarders, and ultimately consumers. NIMASA estimates that full abolition of the WRI on Nigerian routes could save the country upwards of $400 million annually in unnecessary insurance payments to foreign underwriters.
Diplomatic Offensive Widens
NIMASA has escalated the campaign across multiple international forums. Under the directives of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Dr. Mobereola took Nigeria’s case to international stakeholders, urging them to support the removal of war risk insurance premiums. In a major diplomatic move, he engaged Chatham House, where he met with Dr. Alex Vines, Director of the Africa Programme, who agreed to escalate the matter to the United Nations. The agency has also engaged directly with the world’s leading shipowner and cargo associations — BIMCO, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), INTERCARGO, and INTERTANKO — pressing each body to formally recognise Nigeria’s changed security profile and advocate for premium reductions with their underwriting partners.
The responses have been cautiously encouraging. Stinne Taiger Ivo, Deputy Secretary General of BIMCO, acknowledged Nigeria’s progress and stated that shipowners should take the lead in pushing for lower premiums. Zhou Xianyong of INTERCARGO similarly assured NIMASA of support in Nigeria’s campaign to be delisted from war risk insurance premium zones.
Structural Obstacles Remain
Stakeholders caution that diplomatic goodwill alone will not resolve the issue. Security analysts have pointed to procedural anomalies that distort Nigeria’s risk rating in global underwriters’ assessments. Stakeholders argue that routing incident reports through Abidjan instead of the Nigerian Navy delays responses and unfairly worsens Nigeria’s security rating, and that misalignment between Best Management Practices West Africa protocols and Nigeria’s own security procedures distorts the country’s image.
The Head of Research at Sea Empowerment and Research Centre, Eugene Nweke, has lamented that despite reported improvements, high international war risk assessments continue to burden port users. Former NIMASA Director-General Temisan Omatseye has also urged that inter-agency coordination be strengthened, arguing that the Nigerian Navy alone cannot carry the entire security burden and that the Marine Police, Customs, and Immigration must each fulfil their statutory maritime responsibilities.
Nigeria Watch — Analysis for Port Sector Stakeholders
The modest reduction in war risk surcharges now being observed is a positive signal, but the battle for full abolition remains unfinished. For terminal operators, freight forwarders, and shipowners operating on Nigerian routes, the persistence of WRI adds a systemic cost layer that erodes competitiveness relative to other West African hubs. Every container bearing a $40–$50 war risk levy, stacked on top of Maersk’s $450 transit disruption charge, translates directly into elevated landed costs for goods passing through Apapa, Tin Can Island, and Onne.
NIMASA’s strategy — combining diplomatic pressure through Chatham House and the UN, direct engagement with BIMCO and INTERTANKO, and the moral authority of a verified four-year piracy-free record — is structurally sound. The weak link remains the procedural architecture around incident reporting and the continuing misalignment between BMP West Africa and Nigerian Navy protocols, which feed underwriters’ models with data that overstates residual risk. Until those reporting pipelines are fixed, Lloyd’s and the P&I clubs will retain a technical basis for maintaining elevated premiums regardless of the political pressure NIMASA brings to bear.
The broader implication for the port sector is this: a successful outcome would not merely reduce freight costs. It would materially improve Nigeria’s competitiveness as a transshipment and cargo destination, strengthen the economics of the proposed national shipping line, and reduce the dollar outflow from an already pressured foreign exchange environment.
NIMASA’s DG is right that Nigeria cannot win this fight alone — but the agency is assembling the coalition it needs.
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NIMASA, National Hydrographic Agency Unite to Drive Adoption of Local Nautical Charts to Enhance Maritime Safety and Security
NIMASA, National Hydrographic Agency Unite to Drive Adoption of Local Nautical Charts
Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News Correspondent
Nigeria’s two foremost maritime safety institutions have signalled a reinvigorated partnership aimed at compelling wider industry compliance with locally produced nautical charts and hydrographic communication tools — a push that stakeholders say is long overdue given the persistent navigational hazards across the country’s coastal and inland waters.
The renewed commitment came to the fore during a high-level working visit by the Hydrographer of the Nation, Rear Admiral Olumide Fadahunsi, to the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), where both agencies mapped out a framework for deeper collaboration on navigation, maritime security and operational efficiency.
Fadahunsi Makes the Case for Local Charts
Rear Admiral Fadahunsi used the occasion to underscore the strategic importance of hydrographic services to national development, commending NIMASA’s leadership for its sustained focus on maritime safety while reaffirming his agency’s commitment to delivering critical hydrographic support to the sector.
He argued that broader compliance with locally generated hydrographic data would produce measurable improvements in navigational safety, maritime security and the governance of Nigeria’s territorial waters — outcomes that have eluded the sector in part because foreign charts remain the default for many vessel operators.
“Hydrography remains a critical component of maritime safety and national development,” Fadahunsi stated. “Strengthening collaboration between the National Hydrographic Agency and NIMASA will enhance navigational safety, improve maritime security, and support sustainable growth within Nigeria’s maritime domain.”
NIMASA Commits to Enforcement and Capacity Push
NIMASA Director-General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, responded by pledging accelerated action on Maritime Safety Information infrastructure, alongside tougher enforcement strategies and sustained capacity building to advance hydrographic services across the country.
Mobereola framed inter-agency collaboration as foundational to the sector’s operational credibility, stressing that no single institution could deliver safer and more efficient waterways in isolation.
“At NIMASA, we recognise that effective collaboration among maritime institutions is essential to achieving safer and more efficient waterways,” he said. “We remain committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen maritime safety, improve operational standards, and enhance the overall growth of Nigeria’s maritime sector”
The partnership is expected to reinforce NIMASA’s statutory mandate of ensuring safe navigation and shipping through the consistent deployment and enforcement of accurate, current navigational charts — instruments that remain fundamental to efficient maritime operations.
Nigeria Watch
The NIMASA-Hydrographic Agency engagement arrives at a moment of heightened focus on navigational safety in Nigerian waters, where the combination of inadequate charting, poor channel maintenance and the continued dominance of outdated foreign charts has been linked to groundings, near-misses and elevated insurance costs for vessel operators.
For terminal operators and port logistics stakeholders, the practical implication of wider chart compliance goes beyond safety: accurate, up-to-date hydrographic data directly informs berth availability assessments, dredging schedules and the management of vessel drafts — particularly at the Lagos port complex where channel depth remains a perennial constraint on the size of vessels that can be accommodated.
The National Hydrographic Agency, established to position Nigeria as a self-sufficient producer of nautical charts in line with International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) standards, has long struggled to displace foreign-sourced data products entrenched among shipowners and masters. Whether the renewed NIMASA collaboration produces enforceable compliance mechanisms — rather than another round of goodwill declarations — will determine whether this engagement delivers tangible results for safety and commerce on Nigerian waters.
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