The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Bashir Jamoh said the arrival of the Nigerian Naval Ship - NNS KADA will greatly enhance security in the Nigerian maritime domain, and commended the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral AZ Gambo for this achievement.
Dr. Bashir Jamoh who joined the Chief of Naval Staff at the Naval Dockyard in Lagos, Nigeria, to witness the arrival of the ship from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), commended the Nigerian Navy, which he described as a critical partner, in actualization of the Agency’s maritime security mandate.
Enhancing Nigeria’s maritime security
The platform would also help in consolidating on the safer passage being recorded for vessels, cargoes"
He said, “The platform would also help in consolidating on the safer passage being recorded for vessels, cargoes and crew members, transiting through the Gulf of Guinea, while also fighting oil theft and other maritime related vices, within the country’s maritime domain.”
Speaking during a tour of the vessel, the NIMASA Director General assured the Chief of Naval Staff that the Agency is committed to strengthening the collaboration between both organs of Government, by providing logistics support for the maintenance of the NNS KADDA.
NNS KADA naval ship
The newly acquired warship arrived at its new home port in Apapa, Nigeria, after 56 days of voyage and port call to about five countries.
NNS KADA was ordered from Damen Group (Damen Shipyards Group) in 2019 and built at Albwardy Damen shipyard in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was laid down in December 2019, launched in June 2021, and handed over to the Nigerian Navy in Sharjah on March 30.
The vessel departed for Nigeria on April 1 and prior to its arrival in Lagos, made stopovers in five countries, including Angola (Luanda), Gabon (Port Gentil), Kenya (Mombasa), Oman (Port of Duqm), and South Africa (Cape Town).
Strategic transport of equipment and troops
Based on Damen’s LST 100 design, the ship will be used for a range of duties
Based on Damen’s LST 100 design, the ship will be used for a range of duties, including strategic transport of equipment and troops, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, and to project maritime security into the Gulf of Guinea.
With 1,300 DWT, an overall length of 100 metres and a 16 metres beam, the LST can carry a crew complement of 32 plus 16 embarked marine forces (EMF) in the deckhouse, with accommodation for an additional 234 embarked marine forces at mid-ship, below the main deck.
Powered by Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines and C18 generators
NNS Kada is powered by two Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines and four Caterpillar C18 generators, in ordder to provide a top speed of 16 kt and a standard range of 4,000 nmiat 15 kt.
The naval ship features a bow ramp and davits for two landing crafts, a 540 square metres roll-on/off (Ro-Ro) deck, and a 420 square metres cargo deck for dry stores and ammunition. The ship deck has the capacity to carry a medium-sized helicopter.