National News
Nigerian-American makes history as commander of US-Navy ship
Commander Kelechi Ndukwe has assumed his new role as the Commander of a U.S. Navy ship, making him the first Nigerian-American in that position.
Ndukwe is from Okoko-Item in Bende LGA, Abia State.
In a decision made by the military top brass of the United States, with the knowledge of the US President Joe Biden, Commander Kelechi Ndukwe was appointed and given charge to take command of the US Navy-guided missile destroyer USS HALSEY (DDG-97) on April 2 2021.
The United States Embassy in Nigeria has congratulated Kelechi Ndukwe on the feat, as the first Nigerian-American to command a US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer.
The embassy congratulated the naval officer in a tweet on Thursday, April 8.
Kudos to Kelechi Ndukwe on his new role as commander of a U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer. The University of Notre Dame and the U.S. Naval War College alumnus becomes the first Nigerian-American captain of a U.S. Navy ship. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/SCoaIVBlWd
— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USinNigeria) April 8, 2021
Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu also took to Twitter to congratulate him.
I join millions of Nigerians worldwide in celebrating Abia-born Nigerian-American Commander Kelechi Ndukwe who today assumed command of a US Navy Guided Missile Destroyer, USS Halsey (DDG-97) becoming the first Abian, Nigerian & Nigerian-American to attain such a height…
— Okezie Ikpeazu (@GovernorIkpeazu) April 3, 2021
Ndukwe holds a Master’s degree in National Security and Strategy Studies from the US Naval War College.
Before that, he graduated with a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Notre Dame.
According to the Foundation for Defense Democracies (FDD), between 2013 and 2015, Ndukwe commanded the USS Devastator (MCM 6), a minesweeper based in Bahrain, and had served on multiple warships in various parts of the world including the Mediterranean Sea, Horn of Africa, Arabian Gulf, and Western Pacific Ocean.
Ndukwe’s parents migrated to the US as students in 1977.
