The Nigerian Navy's second Hamilton-class cutter, NNS Okpabana, arrived in Lagos on 2 January, the News Agency of Nigeria (NNA) reported on 2 January. The vessel served as US Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin until it was retired at the end of March 2014 and handed over to Nigeria. Nigeria commissioned its first Hamilton-class, NNS Thunder (F 90), in 2012. The NNA cited Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin as saying that, like Thunder, Okpabana would be based in Lagos so that the same maintenance team could work on both vessels. He also said a Chinese team was expected to arrive in Nigeria to help upgrade the shipyard at Port Harcourt in the first quarter of 2015. The improvements are needed so the yard can complete the second of two OPVs that are being built for the Nigerian Navy in China.
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