Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff
As part of scheduled port calls on her homeward voyage to Nigeria, Nigerian Navy Ship
(NNS) KADA on Sunday 15 May 2022 paid a port call to Luanda Port, Angola.
This according to a statement released by Commodore A.O Ayo-Vaughan, Nigeria’s Navy Director of Information comes 13 days after the ship had paid a similar visit to the Port of Cape Town, South Africa. On arrival at Luanda, NNS KADA was received by Nigeria’s Ambassador (Amb)
to Angola, Professor Monique Ekpong, also the Executive Secretary of
the Gulf of Guinea Commission, Amb Adenike Ukonga and a delegation from the Naval
Headquarters led by the Flag Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Rear Admiral
Olumuyiwa Olotu who represented the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), accompanied by
other senior officers namely the Defence Attache to Angola, Commodore Mohammed
Muye, Commodore Yusuf Idris and Captain Badamasi Yahuza.
During the visit, the CNS representative, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu appreciated
the Angolan government for their support in receiving the ship. The representative of
the Luanda Port Harbour Master, Joser R Amaral, recalled that Angola and Nigeria has
had a long standing relationship over years and pledged to provide any additional
support required by the ship.
Meanwhile, at a later visit to the National Directorate of Defence Policy, Angola, the Director, Lieutenant General Barbosa Antunes Epalanga, noted that the relationship between both countries was consolidated with the creation of defence sections at the embassies in both Luanda and Nigeria.
Furthermore, he stressed the need for further engagements between both countries’ military in combating threats such as terrorism.
While thanking the Nigerian government for choosing Luanda as one
of the ports to be visited, the representative of the CNS, Angolan Navy, Rear Admiral
Cosme Faria, emphasized the need to have some maritime exercises between both
countries in the future for enhanced maritime security of the Gulf of Guinea.
Similarly during a courtesy call on Nigeria’s Ambassador to Angola, Her Excellency,
Amb (Prof) Monique Ekpong thanked the Angolan government for granting the approval
for the ship to stop over in Luanda Port. The Ambassador also called for more bilateral
engagements between both countries.
It would be recalled that NNS KADA departed the United Arab Emirates on Friday1
April 2022 after a Change of Flag ceremony and she is expected to arrive Nigeria on 27
May 2022.