INTRODUCTION: - The renowned Nigerian merchant Navy Corps was statutorily constituted through the shipping and navigational ordinances No 47 of 1917, No 12 of 1919 and No 53 of 1922 (Cap 104) as colonial Marine department or Directorate headed by a Director of Marine (D.O.M). The marine department was created in 1914 after the merger of Northern and Southern marine detachment (Merchant Navy). This had been the status quo until the frontal Navy (The Nigerian Navy) was Created with the secondment of 200 officer and men with eleven small boat and harbor craft for conversion into Royal independent navy Force from the Merchant Navy. Even when the establishing Acts of the Nigerian Merchant Navy was not repealed, the public service outfit got stampeded within the Nigerian Bureaucracy without funding and organizational appraisal. Now ship of Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps is setting sail again, thanks to the ongoing reconstitution by the federal government based on the subsisting legislations and the Inspiration from the Nigerian Merchant Navy, seafarers, Maritime and Petroleum Security bill (2009) at the National Assembly.

1.2 The Nigerian Merchant Navy Corp object includes the following:
i. The provision of security for seafarers, Merchant goods petroleum product, staff and infrastructure including gas powered station.
ii. Act as specialized force against river, piracy and Niger-Delta arm struggle.
iii. Shall prevent and enforce safety and fishing regulation on coastal and inland waters
iv. Ensure placements of Nigerian in maritime vacancies which are being filled and enjoyed by foreigners –this is in excess of 200,000 job opportunities.
2. The Nigerian Merchant Navy Corps headquarter in Lagos under the leadership of commodore Benson Edema has approve the immediate establishment of Kogi State command with headquarter at Idah and forward operation bases in Lokoja and Shintaku within the 1st quarters of 2011. This swill rub off on Kogi indigenes interms of employment increase in spendable income, security of waterways and the state in general, marine tourism. To this end, the cooperation of Nigerian resident in Kogi state is hereby eluted.
3. I hereby congratulate member of the political class who have secure the nomination of their political various political parties whose future cooperation we will crave which reverence. Our inestimable thanks goes to Alhaji Ibrahim Our the outgoing Governor of Kogi State for his state manly disposition which make Kogi State one first of our first-line establishment.
Our most profound appreciation goes to the president, commader-in-chief, federal republica of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and Honourable Minister of Transport Alh. Seidu Mohammed for their Invalriable policy discipline which user this enabling enviromet
Captain Philemon Prosper Ojogbane
Commanding Officer (Desigriate)
Kogi State Command
National Directorate Headquarter
6, Force road, TBS Onika Lagos.

Under which law is this organization established?

Is it part of the Nigerian armed forces?

Which ministry is the supervising ministry?

What is the relevance of merchant navy in Kogi state? Does Kogi have a sea port?

Pls don't give me long stories about river Niger jetty at Lokoja. No barges have operated on the Niger for ages.