Oando fortifies Navy operations with 1m litre storage facility

In a bid to boost the Nigerian Navy’s operations and strengthen its capability to respond quickly to security threats on the nation’s waterways, Oando plc has built a one-million-litre fuel storage capacity tank at the NNS Beecroft in Apapa, Lagos, Wale Tinubu, group managing director, Oando plc has said.

Speaking at the inauguration of the fuel storage facility last week, Tinubu stated that the facility was important to the country, adding his company was glad when the Navy approached it with the idea that will ensure that the nation’s fleets can be deployed as quickly as possible in the face of any domestic or foreign threats.

The Oando GMD, who was represented at the inauguration by Yomi Awobokun, the chief executive officer, Oando Marketing, said that the project is part of concerted efforts to improve the Navy’s capacity to efficiently monitor the nation’s waterways.

“We are humbled that they approached us to partner on the logistics side. So, it is significant for the nation. A nation of our size needs a strong Navy; with the increase in the fleets and morale in the men, and the quality of the leadership, the Nigerian Navy is getting stronger,” Tinubu said.

Tinubu also revealed that the NNS Beecroft storage facility was just one among many being built by Oando across the nation. He said: “Our organisation is positioning to support the strength and be proud partner to the Navy. We intend to continue to play our part.

“We are already working with them on other initiatives to ensure that in the years to come, their role on the continent as the foremost Navy is not by any means diminished,” he added.

Tinubu said the one million-litre gasoil storage facilities were buried in naval installations at Victoria Island and Apapa in Lagos to help the Navy access the product for its operations.
“We want to ensure that the biggest ship of the Navy is able to come and be filled up and topped up as efficiently as possible and that is the way we have designed this. As the Navy’s fleet grows, we will also increase our capacity to support them,” he added.
Usman Jibrin, vice admiral and the chief of the naval staff, said the facility would positively change the process of delivering fuel to the Navy as it would improve its logistics.

“Most of the supplies were through the trucks. Now that we have this kind of facility, it means cutting down the cost of stock-piling the product,” said Jibrin, who was represented by Ikot Ibas, rear admiral and the chief of logistics, Naval Headquarters.