The Kali-3 Project: How SEEPCO built a Naval vessel in Nigeria | Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production

Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO, in partnership with the Nigerian Navy, has built and delivered the vessel, Kali-3, to the Nigerian Navy. What makes this milestone extraordinary is not just the vessel itself, but who built it: Nigerians.

Niger Delta youths, Niger Delta engineers, the same youths that were adorned with the toga of militancy.
They have been rebranded. They have been groomed. They have been equipped with skills and they have done the unthinkable. They are the engineers, welders, naval architects, and technicians from the Niger Delta.

They turned steel and vision into a warship-ready platform right here in Nigeria. That warship is called Kali-3. It was constructed with funding from SEEPCO.

And it was commissioned and handed over to the Nigerian Navy on Tuesday, August 18. Kali-3 is more than a project delivered. It is a statement; a statement in courage, resilience and commitment to Nigeria’s maritime security by an oil firm.

Industry experts believe that with the induction of Kali-3, the security gap in the Nigerian maritime corridor would be bridged, as the new vessel would expectedly increase the Navy’s presence in hotspots, improving real-time monitoring of our waters.

Besides, the vessel will deter and intercept vessels involved in illegal bunkering, helping to recover billions in lost revenue and also provide logistics, troop movement and quick response capability for the Nigerian Navy in the South-South and across the Gulf of Guinea. It will equally contribute to the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, where Nigeria leads efforts to secure the Gulf of Guinea for all of West and Central Africa.

Kali 3 is an emerging force multiplier and will gives the Nigerian Navy more reach, more speed and more capacity to protect the very assets that power our economy.

Sterling Oil, in embarking on the project in partnership with the Nigerian Navy, may have just set out to assist its host country in confront its maritime security challenges. But the effort has not just created job opportunities for the youths, it also showed that if direction, training and support is provided, Niger Delta youths can achieve so much.

SEEPCO discovered the potential in the youths, trained and deployed them for the design, fabrication, fitting and sea trials.

By helping to secure Nigerian waters, the firm is helping to secure, not just their operations but also the operations of every other stakeholder in the maritime sector. The SEEPCO-Nigerian Navy Public-Private Partnership has birthed something phenomenal, as the vessel will reduce oil theft, resulting in more revenue for the Federation Account and more revenue means more money for schools, roads, and hospitals.

It’s a monumental milestone – Oborevwori
At the formal handover of the vessel to the Nigerian Navy by SEEPCO, Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, described the project as a monumental milestone for SEEPCO, the Nigerian Navy, Delta State and Nigeria at large.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, noted that the development was a strong testament to indigenous industrial capacity, effective local content integration, and robust public-private synergy between corporate enterprise and the Nigerian Navy.

He expressed immense pride in the fact that the sophisticated vessel was designed and constructed within Delta State, noting that the achievement validates his administration’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment backed by skilled local manpower and technical enterprise.

He said: “This is an important occasion for SEEPCO, Delta State and Nigeria. We are celebrating not only a new security vessel, but also indigenous capacity, local content and a successful partnership between the private sector and the Nigerian Navy. I congratulate the management of SEEPCO on this achievement and commend the Nigerian Navy for its partnership and professional contribution.

“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, while possessing the human capital, technical expertise and industrial capacity to produce sophisticated assets for strategic sectors of our economy.

“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.

“A secure operating environment is essential for investment, production and economic growth; Delta State, therefore, remains open for business, and we will continue to work with investors, security agencies and other stakeholders to sustain the peace and security required for businesses to thrive.

“I urge the operators of the vessel to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, discipline and safety; let the SSV-KALI 3 stand as a symbol of what we can achieve when government, indigenous enterprise and our security institutions work together in the national interest.”

A representative of SEEPCO, Mr Raj Bhargava, said the vessels are being delivered in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy to bolster maritime safety and protect personnel guarding the country’s waterways.

Why we decided to undertake vessel-building project – SEEPCO
A top official of SEEPCO said that the company decided to undertake the vessel-building project as part of a public-private partnership aimed at supporting the Nigerian Navy and strengthening maritime security in Nigeria. “As a company whose operations are closely connected to the country’s waterways, we understand the importance of a safe and secure maritime environment to the oil and gas industry, as well as to the communities and economic activities that depend on our waterways.

“Ultimately, the initiative is about strengthening the operational capacity of the Nigerian Navy, supporting maritime security and demonstrating how public-private partnerships can contribute to building a stronger and more self-reliant maritime sector in Nigeria.”

It’ll aid protection of Nigeria’s maritime environment, critical energy assets – Abbas, Naval chief
Also, speaking, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas underscored the need for the protection of Nigeria’s maritime environment and critical energy assets, particularly the oil and gas sector.

He commended SEEPCO for embarking on the project and urged other responsible maritime stakeholders to support partnerships that advance national security and charged the personnel assigned to operate the vessel to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, discipline, integrity and operational readiness, while reaffirming the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to strengthening partnerships that enhance maritime security.

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