The Nigerian Merchant Navy (NMN) is currently training its officers to become adept at working with oil, rather than concentrating on combat procedures.

This is according to the organisation's director-general commodore Aderemi Olatinwo, who told regional news provider Vanguard that it is the country's regular Navy fleet that deals with warfare issues.

He remarked: "Let me correct one impression, we are training people to work on vessels, international vessels and those engaged in operations in [the] offshore oil industry."

According to Mr Olatinwo, one of the main duties of the NMN is to target ships that are potentially polluting the surrounding waters with oil.

Patrol boats will take a sample of oil from the water and analyse it against vessels in the vicinity to see whether there is a match, with international regulators imposing heavy fines on companies that are found guilty.

The news follows the recent development to train ex-militants in Nigeria for work in the oil industry.

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