If you’re looking to know how the Nigerian Navy ranks its commissioned and non-commissioned officers and how much officers earn at each rank, then you’re just on the right page.

Here, we’ll be looking at different ranks in the Nigerian Navy, symbols representing each rank, salaries paid to officers at each rank, and other details that might interest you about the Nigerian Navy and its officers.

Nigerian Navy Ranks for commissioned officers

1. Admiral of the Fleet
2. Admiral
3. Vice-Admiral
4. Rear Admiral
5. Commodore
6. Captain
7. Commander
8. Lieutenant Commander
9. Lieutenant
10. Sub-Lieutenant
11. Acting Sub-Lieutenant
12. Mid-Shipman

Nigerian Navy Ranks for non-commissioned officers

1. Warrant Chief Petty Officer
2. Chief Petty Officer
3. Petty Officer
4. Leading Rating
5. Able Rating
6. Ordinary Rating
7. Trainee

Nigerian Navy Ranks and Salary Structure

The above is a breakdown of Nigerian Navy salary per annum and per month. As expected the top officers earn the fattest salaries. From the rank of Rear Admiral, an officer’s salary crosses the N1m per month mark. Now, that’s cool money!

Nigerian Navy Ranks and Symbols/Insignia

Below is an image showing the ranks in the Nigerian Navy and their corresponding symbols or insignias. With these insignias, you can tell the rank of a Nigerian Navy officer by simply taking a quick glance at his shoulder — that’s where the insignia is usually attached on their uniforms.

Nigerian Navy Ranks: Details of Each Rank

In case you need more details on each of the ranks in the Nigerian Navy, read more below.

Mid-Shipman: This is the junior most rank for commissioned officers in the Nigerian Navy. It corresponds with the rank of Pilot Officer in the Nigerian Air Force and the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.

Sub-Lieutenant: This rank is above Sub-Lieutenant and below Lieutenant Commander. Its equivalent ranks in the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force are Lieutenant and Flying Officer, respectively.

Lieutenant: This corresponds with the rank of Captain in the Nigerian Army and the rank of Flight Lieutenant in the Nigerian Air Force.

Lieutenant Commander: This corresponds with the rank of Major in the Nigerian Army and the rank of Squadron Leader in the Nigerian Air Force. It is the rank above Lieutenant and below Commander. Note: The word “lieutenant” means “assistant or deputy.

Commander: This is the rank above that of Lieutenant-Commander and below that of Captain. It corresponds to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Nigerian Army and the rank of Wing Commander in the Nigerian Air Force.

Captain: Corresponding to the Colonel rank in the Nigerian Army, the Captain rank is above that of Commander and below that of the Commodore. Officers in the rank of Captain are usually in charge of largest ships at sea.

Commodore (Cdre): This is the rank above Captain and below Rear-admiral. It is equivalent to Brigadier in the Nigerian Army and Air Commodore in the Nigerian Air Force.

Rear-admiral: This is the rank below that of a Vice admiral and above that of a commodore. They are otherwise referred to as 2-star officers. Rear admirals are the most junior officers among the “Admiralty ranks” and are sometimes referred to as flag officers.

Vice-admiral: This rank is equivalent to Lieutenant General in the Nigerian Army and Air Vice Marshal in the Nigerain Air Force. It is above the rank of rear admiral and below the rank of Admiral. Officers at this rank are also called 3-star officers.

Admiral (Adm): This is technically the highest rank in the Nigerian Navy, as the only rank superior to it is more of a honorary type. The rank is above that of vice admiral and below Admiral of the fleet. It is equivalent to the rank of General in the Nigerian Army and that of Air Chief Marshal in the Nigeria Air Force.

Admiral of the fleet: This is the highest rank of the Nigerian Navy. It is rarely conferred, as it is more of a honorary position. It is equivalent to the rank of Marshal of the Nigerian Air Force in the Nigerian Air Force and to the rank of Field Marshal in the Nigerian Army.

Video: More on Nigerian Navy

If you’d like to know more about the Nigerian Navy beyond just the ranks, salary, and other information revealed above, then watch the video below, as it details the journey of the Nigerian Navy since it was created.