The Nigerian Navy has partnered with Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company (SEEPCO) to strengthen maritime security, protect oil and gas infrastructure and support crude oil production.
Under the partnership, SEEPCO will provide 10 private maritime logistics vessels, while Nigerian Navy personnel will be deployed aboard them for security operations.
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, announced the arrangement during the induction of SEEPCO’s SSV-KALI 3 patrol vessel at Yade Barge, Asemoku Jetty, in Delta State.
Abbas said KALI 3, the first of the 10 planned vessels, would help translate the partnership into operational capability and demonstrate the value of Navy-private sector collaboration in securing Nigeria’s maritime domain and energy assets.
The vessel was fabricated locally by Yade Barge Operations Limited and is designed for coastal and sea surveillance, interdiction, anti-piracy operations and maritime law enforcement.
The Naval Chief linked the development to the Navy’s intensified campaign against crude oil theft under Operation Delta Sentinel, saying sustained patrols and inter-agency collaboration had disrupted criminal networks and improved investor confidence in production areas.
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his deputy, Monday Onyeme, described the vessel’s local fabrication as evidence of the state’s industrial capacity, adding that it would support efforts against oil theft and illegal bunkering.
