Nigerian-American Kelechi Ndukwe has made history as the first Nigerian to command a US Navy warship. Ndukwe, who was recently promoted to the rank of Navy Captain from Commander, now holds a prestigious role at the pinnacle of his over 20-year career in the US Navy.

Ndukwe’s career in the Navy began in 2003, shortly after he earned a master’s degree in National Security and Strategy Studies from the US Naval War College. In 2021, he assumed command of the USS Halsey (DDG-97), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. Before taking over from his predecessor, DeVere J. Crooks, who commanded the ship since November 2019, Ndukwe served as the ship’s second-in-command.

This is not Ndukwe’s first command; from 2013 to 2015, he led the USS Devastator (MCM 6), a minesweeper based in Bahrain. A graduate of chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, Ndukwe has served on multiple warships across the globe, including in the Mediterranean Sea, Horn of Africa, Arabian Gulf, and the Western Pacific Ocean.

Ndukwe’s impressive service record includes roles such as Weapons Officer and Combat Systems Officer of USS Fitzgerald in Yokosuka, Japan, from June 2010 to December 2011, and Navy Congressional Liaison Officer in Washington DC, from July 2006 to August 2008. He also served as Fire Control Officer of USS Normandy in Norfolk from 2004 to 2006, and as Auxiliaries Officer of USS Thorn, also in Norfolk, from 2003 to 2004.

Ndukwe has also worked in the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), America’s highest-ranking military office. He joins the ranks of other distinguished Nigerian-American naval officers, such as Victor Agunbiade, honoured in July 2020 for “100 per cent accountability,” and Beauty McGowan, who received a “high-performing sailor” award while serving on the USS Iwo Jima.

His promotion was celebrated by Segun Victor Agunbiade, who posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the newest US Navy Captain Kelechi Ndukwe. The first Nigerian to have a command of a US Navy War Ship! Congratulations on your promotion Captain! Well deserved!!!”

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), also congratulated Ndukwe, saying: “A hearty congratulations to Navy Captain Kelechi R Ndukwe who has been promoted to the rank of Navy Captain from Commander, in the US NAVY. He is the first Nigerian American to command a US warship. #ProudlyNigerian.”