# Chief of the Naval Staff (Nigeria)

The chief of the naval staff (CNS) is the military head and highest ranking military officer of the Nigerian Navy. The chief of the naval staff is usually the highest ranking and most senior admiral to serve in the Nigerian Armed Forces unless the chief of defence staff is a naval officer. The position is often occupied by the most senior commissioned officer appointed by the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The chief of the naval staff reports to the chief of defence staff, who also reports to the defence minister. The Statutory duty of the Officer is to formulate and execute policies towards the highest attainment of National Security and operational competence of the Nigerian Navy.
The current chief of the naval staff is Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla who was appointed in June 2023 by President Bola Tinubu to succeed Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo.

## Chiefs of the naval staff

The table below is a chronological list of officers holding the position of Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS).
| No. | Chief of the Naval Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
| 1 | Skutil, FrancisCaptain Francis William Skutil | 1956 | 1958 | 1–2 years | – |
| 2 | Kennedy, AlexanderCommodore Alexander R. Kennedy | 1958 | March 1964 | 5–6 years | – |
| 3 | Wey, JosephVice Admiral Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey OFR FSS (1918–1991) Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters | March 1964 | January 1973 | 8 years, 10 months | – |
| 4 | Soroh, NelsonRear Admiral Nelson Bossman Soroh MFR FSS idc (1928–2006) | January 1973 | 29 July 1975 | 2 years, 6 months | – |
| 5 | Adelanwa, MichaelRear Admiral Michael Ayinde Adelanwa GCON FSS rcds (born 1937) | 29 July 1975 | 15 April 1980 | 4 years, 261 days | – |
| 6 | Aduwo, AkintundeVice Admiral Akintunde Aduwo CFR FSS FBIM (born 1938) | 15 April 1980 | 31 December 1983 | 3 years, 260 days | – |
| 7 | Aikhomu, AugustusRear Admiral Augustus Akhabue Aikhomu FSS Psc, mni (1939–2011) later Chief of General Staff | January 1984 | October 1986 | 2 years, 9 months | – |
| 8 | Koshoni, PatrickVice Admiral Patrick Seubo Koshoni FSS Psc, mni (1943–2020) | October 1986 | January 1990 | 3 years, 3 months | – |
| 9 | Nyako, MurtalaVice Admiral Murtala Hamman-Yero Nyako FSS Psc, mni (born 1942/1943) | January 1990 | February 1992 | 2 years | – |
| 10 | Omosola, DanVice Admiral Dan Preston Omosola FSS , DSO, psc, rcds | February 1992 | September 1993 | 1 year 7 months | – |
| 11 | Saidu, SuleimanRear Admiral Suleiman Saidu FSS , LSS, MSS, DSS, rcds (born 1942) | September 1993 | November 1993 | 2 months | – |
| 12 | Madueke, AllisonRear Admiral Allison Amaechina Madueke FSS DSS, MRNI, mni (born 1944) | November 1993 | August 1994 | 9 months | – |
| 13 | Akhigbe, MichaelRear Admiral Okhai Michael Akhigbe FSS DSS, psc, mni (1946–2013) later Chief of General Staff | August 1994 | 9 June 1998 | 3 years, 10 months | – |
| 14 | Ayinla, JubrilVice Admiral Jubril Ayinla GCON FSS DSS, psc, Usnwc, fwc (born 1948) | 9 June 1998 | 29 May 1999 | 354 days | – |
| 15 | Ombu, VictorVice Admiral Victor Ombu CFR mni (born 1947) | 29 May 1999 | 24 April 2001 | 1 year, 329 days | – |
| 16 | Afolayan, SamuelVice Admiral Samuel Olajide Afolayan DSS, psc, fwc (born 1948) | 24 April 2001 | 20 July 2005 | 4 years, 87 days | – |
| 17 | Adekeye, GaniyuVice Admiral Ganiyu Tunde Adegboyega Adekeye DSS, psc, mirss, mni (born 1952) | 20 July 2005 | 20 August 2008 | 3 years, 31 days | – |
| 18 | Ibrahim, IshayaVice Admiral Ishaya Iko Ibrahim CFR DSS, psc, fwc (1952–2022) | 20 August 2008 | 8 September 2010 | 2 years, 19 days | – |
| 19 | Ibrahim, OlaVice Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim DSS, psc, rcds, fwc, LLB, (Hons) MA (born 1955) later Chief of Defence Staff | 8 September 2010 | 4 October 2012 | 2 years, 26 days | – |
| 20 | Ezeoba,DeleVice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba GSS, fwc, Msc, MRIN, FCIS (born 1958) | 4 October 2012 | 20 January 2014 | 1 year, 108 days | – |
| 21 | Jibrin, UsmanVice Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin GSS, AM, psc+, mni, LLB, PGCPA (born 1959) | 20 January 2014 | 21 July 2015 | 1 year, 182 days | – |
| 22 | Ibas, Ibok-EteVice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (born 1960) | 21 July 2015 | 29 January 2021 | 5 years, 192 days | – |
| 23 | Gambo, AwwalVice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (born 1965) | 29 January 2021 | 23 June 2023 | 2 years, 145 days | – |
| 24 | Ogalla, EmmanuelVice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla (born 1968) | 23 June 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 169 days | – |