Rear Admiral Idi Abbas has been appointed as the 25th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Nigerian Navy. A seasoned specialist in Above Water Warfare (AWW), Rear Admiral Abbas steps into the Navy’s top role from his previous position as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Army Heritage Centre.
Born on September 20, 1969, the new Naval Chief hails from Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State. His military career began when he enlisted in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) on September 12, 1987, as a member of the 40 Regular Course. He was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant on September 10, 1993, after earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry.
Rear Admiral Abbas’s foundation in military education was built at the Airforce Military School, Jos, which he attended from 1981 to 1986.
Throughout his distinguished career, the new CNS attended numerous military courses both in Nigeria and abroad. He is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence College (NDC), Abuja, and completed the Junior and Senior Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji. As an AWW specialist, he completed the Officers’ Long Course at NNS QUORRA.
Rear Admiral Abbas brings a wealth of experience from a variety of command and staff appointments. He served as a Watch-Keeping Officer onboard several Nigerian Navy ships, including the flagship NNS ARADU, NNS DAMISA, and NNS AYAM.
His operational and command appointments include serving as the Commanding Officer of the Burma Battalion at the NDA, Commander of NNS VICTORY in Calabar, and the Maritime Guard Commander of NIMASA. He also served as the Naval contingent Commander for the Joint Task Force Operation SAFE HAVEN and Commander of the Task Group for Operation Tsare-Teku.
Administratively, Rear Admiral Abbas served as the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) of the Central Naval Command, having previously been its Chief Staff Officer. At Naval Headquarters, he held the post of Chief of Naval Safety and Standard (CNASS), and at Defence Headquarters (DHQ), he was the Chief of Defence Civil Military Relations.
The new CNS was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral on September 10, 2020. He is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Grand Service Star (GSS), Distinguished Service Star (DSS), and is a Fellow of the Defence College (fdc).
Rear Admiral Abbas is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and the International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS). He is happily married to Mrs Aisha Abbas, and the marriage is blessed with two sons.
