CENTRAL NAVAL COMMAND (CNC)

The Central Naval Command (CNC) was established February 2012 with its headquarters at Brass, Bayelsa State. Being a new command without any offices or structures on ground in Brass, a command’s temporary headquarters commenced operations as a HQ (Annex) CNC at Yenagoa in March 2012 with the first wave of officers and ratings.

The Command’s Area of Responsibility (AOR) extends from the area before River Benin entrance at Longitude 005 00′ E to River Santa Barbara entrance at Longitude 006 30′ E covering a coastal distance of about 156nm. The coastal states covered by the Command are Bayelsa and Delta states, while the inland states in the AOR include Edo, Kogi and Anambra States. Based on the CNC established AOR, all the existing naval bases and establishments located in the states within the AOR became part of the CNC. These bases and establishments are NNS DELTA, NNS LUGARD, FOB ESCRAVOS, NNH WARRI, Naval Flying Unit and Naval Outpost Onitsha. Others are the Nigerian Navy Research Institute in Amassoma and FOB FORMOSO in FORMOSO.

The benefits of establishing the CNC include but not limited to the following:
1. Enhancement of more robust employment and deployment of vessels, personnel and material to effectively police and protect the numerous rigs, platforms, oil installations, creeks and adjoining rivers in the AOR of CNC.
2. Facilitation of the integration and employment of land, maritime, air and special operations forces to gain and maintain control of the creeks, inland water ways, coastal and the high seas in the AOR of CNC.
3. Enhancement of NN capability at detecting, intercepting and interdicting of hostile actions or acts that tends to undermine security and legitimate economic activities in the AOR of CNC.
4. Increment in aid to civil authority through IS operations, humanitarian relief, Search and Rescue (SAR) amongst others in the AOR of CNC.
5. Enhancement of confidence among citizens of the area in government’s efforts at creating a secured environment in the AOR of CNC.
6. Enhancement of the efforts at elimination of militancy, illegal bunkering, attacks on oil facilities and other illegal activities in the AOR of CNC.