Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has inducted SSV-KALI 3, a next-generation security support vessel, into service as part of efforts to strengthen maritime security and protect critical oil and gas assets in the state.
The induction ceremony was held at Yade Barge, Niger River Bank, Asemoku Jetty, Okpai, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.
Represented at the event by his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, Governor Oborevwori described the commissioning of the vessel as a major milestone for Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO), Delta State and Nigeria.
The governor said the vessel represented a significant achievement in indigenous industrial capacity, local content development and collaboration between the private sector and the Nigerian Navy.
Oborevwori expressed particular pride that the sophisticated security vessel was designed and constructed in Delta State, describing the achievement as evidence of the state’s growing technical and industrial capacity.
According to him, the development also demonstrated that Delta had the skilled manpower and business environment required to support sophisticated industrial projects.
He congratulated SEEPCO and commended the Nigerian Navy for its partnership and professional contribution to the project.
The governor said the development was consistent with his administration’s M.O.R.E. Agenda, particularly its focus on creating an enabling environment for investment, enterprise, employment and sustainable economic growth.
“I am particularly proud that this next-generation vessel was designed and built here in Delta State; it demonstrates that our State has created an enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” Oborevwori said.
The governor said the new vessel would add significant capacity to ongoing efforts to secure Delta’s waterways and protect critical infrastructure.
He noted that improved coordination, intelligence sharing and rapid response by security agencies had contributed to greater stability in communities and waterways across the state.
Oborevwori said the SSV-KALI 3 would help strengthen maritime security, protect oil and gas installations and support the fight against oil theft, illegal bunkering and other maritime crimes.
He stressed that a secure operating environment was essential for investment, production and economic growth, assuring investors that Delta remained open for business.
“The SSV-KALI 3 will add valuable capacity to these efforts; it will strengthen maritime security, help protect oil and gas assets, and support the fight against oil theft, illegal bunkering and other maritime crimes,” he said.
The governor urged the operators of the vessel to maintain high standards of professionalism, discipline and safety.
He described the vessel as a symbol of what could be achieved when government, indigenous businesses and security institutions worked together in the national interest.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, described the occasion as a practical demonstration of the benefits of strategic collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and the private sector.
He said such partnerships were important for securing maritime businesses, protecting energy assets and maintaining peace within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Abbas assured that the Nigerian Navy remained willing to collaborate with responsible private-sector partners to deepen maritime security, protect Nigeria’s maritime interests and safeguard critical national assets.
Earlier, a representative of SEEPCO management, Mr. Raj Bhargava, said the vessels were being delivered in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy to strengthen maritime safety.
He said the initiative was also aimed at protecting personnel involved in securing the nation’s waterways.
The induction of SSV-KALI 3 adds another layer of maritime security support in Ndokwa East and other waterways in Delta State, particularly amid the importance of the state’s oil and gas infrastructure to the wider Nigerian economy.
