The Nigerian Navy on Saturday inducted 1,962 newly trained ratings to strengthen ongoing joint military operations nationwide.
The recruits were formally passed out by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, during the Batch 37 Passing Out Parade at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS) in Onne, Rivers State, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.
Abbas said the ratings would be assigned to warships and operational units to combat oil theft, enhance maritime security, and support ground forces in counter-insurgency and other security missions.
He described the recruitment as timely, noting that Nigeria continues to face a range of security challenges, including maritime crime, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and violent extremism.
The Chief of Naval Staff highlighted that NNBTS has consistently fulfilled its mandate of transforming civilians into skilled and competent naval ratings.
He noted that the recruitment of 1,962 ratings was particularly timely, coming at a moment when Nigeria faces multiple security challenges. According to him, the new personnel are essential not only for securing the nation and its maritime environment but also for supporting broader economic prosperity.
“Over the years, NNBTS has upheld its mandate of transforming civilians into skilled and competent ratings for the Nigerian Navy.
“The recruitment of 1,962 ratings comes at a time when our nation faces multiple security threats. It is necessary to secure our country and its maritime environment, and to promote economic prosperity,” he said.
Abbas explained that the recruits completed six months of intensive training as part of the Navy’s capacity-building programme, which was recently upgraded to include combat swimming, field-craft, and visit-board-search-and-seizure drills, along with live-firing exercises and practical simulations.
He urged the new ratings to uphold discipline, professionalism, integrity, and teamwork, stressing that their performance would be central to safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime and territorial security.
The induction of these ratings comes shortly after President Bola Tinubu declared a national security emergency, mandating intensified operations and expanded recruitment by the Armed Forces, Police, and DSS.
In November 2025, President Tinubu rejected the US designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”, describing it as inconsistent with the country’s counterterrorism efforts.