The newly-acquired Nigerian Navy Ship, named UNITY, which was constructed by the China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Limited, CSOIL, has finally arrived in the country.

Direct of Navy Information, Cor Ezekobe, said in a statement that the ship which departed from China on 15 September, “berthed at the Nigerian Naval Dockyard Jetty, in Lagos on Friday at about 2:10 pm and was escorted into harbour by two locally constructed Seaward Defence Boats, SDBs, NNS ANDONI and NNS KARADUWA.”

Chief of the Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ibas, officials of the Chinese Embassy in Lagos, as well as a representative of CSOIL in Nigeria, Dapo Oguntayo, were on hand to receive the massive war ship.

Also present at the event were former Chiefs of Naval Staff, Micheal Adelanwa, Victor Ombu and Dele Ezeoba.

Other dignitaries that graced the reception ceremony include a former Chief of General Staff, Ebitu Ukiwe, General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Flag Officers Commanding Western Naval Command and Naval Training Command, senior military officers as well as officials of security agencies.

Ezekobe also stated that the new Ship on its way to Nigeria, “paid port calls at the ports of five countries in Asia and Africa namely Port of Klang in Malaysia, Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka, Port Lious in Mauritius, Simons Town Port in South Africa and finally Port of Luanda in Angola.

He also pointed out that “NNS CENTENARY, a sister ship of the same class was the first to be constructed by CSOIL.

“NNS UNITY being the second is built for high endurance capability at sea which makes her an ideal platform for naval operations.”