Chief Of Naval Staff Attends Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference 2026

Chief Of Naval Staff Attends Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference 2026

In line with need to further bolster Nigerian Navy platform holding, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal), attended the ninth edition of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference tagged

DIMDEX 2026 from 19-22 January 2026 in Qatar. DIMDEX 2026 was held under the esteemed patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani Amir of the State of Qatar and hosted by the Qatar Armed Forces. Notably, DIMDEX is the largest exhibition of maritime defence and security innovations in the Middle East Region and Nigerian Navy’s participation has opened a new vista for improving NN platform composition in line with emerging cutting-edge technology. During the four-day event, several visiting warships from partner nations were berthed at Hamad Port and open to dignitaries and visitors.

The CNS interacted with many solution providers in the maritime industry on latest trends and innovations related to acquisition of platforms and transfer of technology to improve the NN’s indigenous ship production capacity. Recall that so far, the NN has built five sea going platforms locally namely; MV SAUKA LAFIA commissioned in 2010, NNS ANDONI commissioned in 2012, NNS KARADUWA commissioned in 2016, MV TUG COMMANDER UGWU commissioned in 2016 and NNS OJI commissioned in 2021. The prospects of technology transfer would further reposition the NN towards becoming a leading manufacturer of warships in the African continent.

DIMDEX 2026 also afforded the NN the opportunity to preview various options of precision guided munitions and Naval Gunfire Support suitable for Maritime Security Operations in Nigerian waters and the entire Gulf of Guinea. Additionally, pertinent discussions were held on the equipment holding for the recently established Nigerian Navy Marines soon to be infused into various ongoing joint operations nationwide. This is in line with the CNS vision for the NN which is to “develop a modern, agile and professional naval force dedicated to securing Nigeria’s maritime interests and advancing national security objectives in synergy with other security agencies.”