No fewer than 11,000 Nigerians have applied for the opportunity to sail aboard a Nigerian Navy (NN) warship, underscoring overwhelming public interest in the initiative.
This was disclosed by the director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abi Folorunso, on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday.
Reacting to the surge in applications, Folorunso expressed surprise at the turnout, noting that the figure far exceeded initial expectations.
“So far over 11,000 persons have applied to sail on a Nigerian Navy warship!! First I must confess that I didn’t expect this number of persons,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that accommodating all applicants would not be feasible due to the limited capacity of the vessels.
“The challenge is we cannot get over 11,000 people onboard the limited space on the designated ships,” he added.
Folorunso further announced that the list of successful applicants would be released between May 1 and May 3, 2026.
“We will be disclosing the successful applicants between May 1–3, 2026. All applicants will need to visit @NigerianNavy and other Nigerian Navy social media platforms to check,” he said.
Recall that the Nigerian Navy had announced the initiative in early April as part of activities lined up for its annual celebration, commonly referred to as Navy Week.
According to the Navy, the programme, often described as a “citizens’ sail” or open-day experience, is designed to give members of the public rare onboard access to naval platforms while promoting transparency and strengthening civil-military relations.
Following the announcement, the Navy opened an online application portal, inviting interested Nigerians to register for a chance to participate. The exercise was also widely publicised through the Navy’s verified social media platforms, alongside participation guidelines.
LEADERSHIP reports that Navy Week typically features a range of activities including ship tours, ceremonial parades, medical outreaches, and community engagement programmes across coastal states.
The warship sailing experience is a relatively new addition to the celebration, aimed at deepening public engagement and showcasing the Navy’s operational capabilities.
The Navy noted that participation in the programme requires meeting basic identification criteria and strict adherence to safety protocols, given the sensitive nature of naval operations. Selected participants are also expected to undergo screening before boarding and comply with all onboard regulations.
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