Meet Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, The Newly Appointed Chief Of Naval Staff.
Born on December 20, 1968, in Umuopu Enugu Ezike, Igbo Eze North LGA of Enugu State, Nigeria, he has an impressive educational and professional background.
Ogalla excelled academically, graduating as the best boy in Sciences from NMS Zaria in June 1987. He obtained his WASC with A1 in all subjects except English language. He joined the 39 RC NDA and graduated with a BSc in Maths, earning the prestigious sword of honor as the best naval cadet in his course. He started his career as a S Lt on Sep 16, 1992, and has since been promoted to Rear Admiral, a position he has held since Sep 16, 2021.
Throughout his career, Ogalla has served on various ships, including NNS AMBE, ARADU, LANA, EKUN, AGU, QUORRA, BEECROFT, DELTA, and PATHFINDER. Notably, he participated in the ECOMOG Operations in Liberia in 1996 while serving on board NNS EKUN. As the Base operations officer in NNS PATHFINDER, he successfully coordinated anti-illegal bunkering operations and policing duties, resulting in a significant reduction of illegal activities within the base area of operations.
In addition to his shipboard experience, Ogalla has held various instructional and leadership positions. He served as Instructor, CI, and Comdt NNHS, as well as SO 1 Survey and DD Instruments NNHO. He has also held positions such as ADCP, DD Hydro, DPR NHQ, DS/ DARAS NDC, and D Audit NASS NHQ. Currently, he serves as the DLL NHQ. During his time at NNHS, he taught subjects like geodesy, datum conversion, tidal predictions and analysis, satellite surveying, and bathymetry. As Comdt, he established a connection with Teledyn Marines, leading to the procurement of survey equipment for practical training. He also played a key role in aligning the School’s curriculum with IHO requirements. At the NNHO, he contributed to the localization of tidal prediction and analysis, and he participated in the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem survey in 2004. During his tenure at the NDC, he improved the College’s research package and led a research study tour to China and South Korea. As DLL, he analyzed previous NN operations and activities to identify lessons for improvement.
Rear Admiral Ogalla’s achievements have earned him several prestigious decorations, including FSS, MSS, DSS, and GSS. He is a member of various professional organizations, such as the Nigerian Hydrographic Society, Nigerian Institute of Management, and the International Earth Rotation Services. He is also a fellow of the Occupational Safety and Health Association of the UK.
Ogalla is happily married to Mrs. Ijeoma Ogalla, and they have two children. In his free time, he enjoys jogging, reading, and researching about science and nature.
