The Nigerian Navy says its newly constructed Landing Ship Tank – LST 100 christened Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) KADA will begin her maiden voyage from Albwardy Damen Shipyard, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates to Lagos, Nigeria fro Friday, April 1, 2022 by 9:00am Nigerian time.
The Navy, in a statement by its spokesperson, Commodore A.O. Ayo-Vaughan, said the NNS KADA is expected to be underway from April 1 – May 27, 2022, covering a period of 56 days in a distance of 8,414.34 Nautical Miles.
The Navy said the new ship is planned to make stopovers in five countries/ports before arriving Lagos, to include;Port Duqm in Oman, Port Mombasa in Kenya, Port Cape Town in South Africa, Port Luanda in Angola and Port Gentil in Gabon.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Navy contracted Messrs Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding for the construction and supply of NNS KADA in May 2018 as part of the recapitalisation efforts of the Nigerian Navy by the Federal Government.
According to the the Navy statement, the venture progressed steadily with the keel laying ceremony of the ship conducted on December 9, 2019 at the Albwardy Damen Shipyard, Sharjah, UAE.
It added that the construction was completed and the new warship was launched on June 7, 2021 while the official hand-over to the Nigerian Navy was on March 30, 2022.
“Thhistoric voyage of the new warship will be preceded by customary change of flags ceremony at the Albwardy Damen Shipyard, Sharjah, UAE. The ceremony, would be witnessed by some dignitaries such as the chairmen of thr Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Navy, Minister of Defence, Chief of the Naval Staff, Director (Navy) at the Ministry and the Nigerian Ambassadors to UAE as well as Saudi Arabia,” the statement read.