The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, Admiralty Medal, has approved the appointment of Captain Abiodun Abidemi Folorunsho as the new Director of Naval Information and Spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy.
Captain Folorunsho took over on 27 January 2026, from Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, who had served in that capacity for over 2 years and has been redeployed to a higher strategic role as the Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT, Nigerian Navy’s premier base.
Born on 27 December 1979 in Benin City, Edo state, Capt. Folorunsho had his primary education at Olua Primary School Benin City and later at Army Command Children School, Zaria, between 1983 and 1990. He later attended the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, from 1991 to 1996 for his secondary education. Thereafter, he was admitted to the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1998 as a member of 50RC and commissioned as a Sub- Lieutenant in the Nigerian Navy in September 2003.
The new spokesman holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Nigerian Defence Academy, and a Master of Science degree in War Studies (Maritime) from the National Defence University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Others include a Master of Science degree in International Affairs and Defence Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Master of Science degree in Energy Management from the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden, and Master of Arts degree in National Security & Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College, Rhode Island, United States. He also possesses a Graduate Certificate in Ethics & Emerging Military Technology from the United States Naval War College, Rhode Island, United States of America.
In the course of his career in the Nigerian Navy, Capt. Folorunsho attended the Junior Staff Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Nigeria; the Senior Staff Course at the Pakistan Navy War College, Lahore, Pakistan; and the United Nations Staff Officers Course at the SWEDINT Training Centre, Försvarsmakten, Stockholm, Sweden. He also attended the Naval Warfare Course at the Naval War College of Nigeria, Calabar, and the Higher Defence Management Course at the United States Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, in 2023.
Since commissioning, Capt. Folorunsho has held various appointments and served on-board several Nigerian Navy ships and shore establishments. He began his naval career as a watchkeeping officer, then as an Assistant Marine Engineering Officer, and then as a Marine Engineering Officer on Nigerian Navy Ships ERINOMI, AYAM, and BARAMA between 2003 and 2008.
He was deployed to Operation SAFE HAVEN (now Operation ENDURING PEACE), where he served as Company Commander and Operations Officer, Bravo Company in the Task Force Battalion from January to October 2010. He served as the Officer in Charge, Boat Platoon at Qua Iboe Terminal, ExxonMobil, Ibeno from 2010 – 2011. He was later deployed as the Commanding Officer of the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence and Firefighting School at the Nigerian Navy Institute of Technology, Sapele, in 2011.
The new spokesperson served as a Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, between 2013 and 2015 and was a Military Liaison Officer at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan from 2016 to 2017. He later held the posts of Manager Production and Manager Plans at the Naval Dockyard Limited, Lagos, from 2018 to 2019.
At the Naval Dockyard Limited, he was involved in the indigenous shipbuilding efforts of the Nigerian Navy during the construction of Nigerian Navy Ship OJI. He was once the Assistant Director Research and Development at the Defence Cyber Operations Centre. Most recently, he was Chief Instructor, Department of Maritime Warfare, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, from 2023 – 2025 and subsequently the Assistant Director PLANS/CNS Directive at the Naval Headquarters, before he was elevated to the post of Director Naval Information and spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy.
Notably, Capt. Folorunsho was exposed to the inner workings of public relations through his extensive editorial work on several magazines and journal across units within the Nigerian Armed Forces. Also, he has extensive experience having compered several local, national and international engagements for the Nigerian Navy, Sister Services and other Tri-Service organizations. He has been a resource person on public speaking and managing protocols to several professional military education institutions in Nigeria.
Captain Folorunsho is a recipient of the Chief of the Naval Staff Award for the Best Graduating Student of the Junior Course, Department of Maritime Warfare, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji in December 2009. He also received the Chief of the Naval Staff Award for the Best Graduating Student on completion of the Naval Warfare Course at the Naval War College of Nigeria in 2019. He is also a recipient of the Force Commander United Nations Mission in South Sudan Commendation Award in 2017. His decorations include the Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, United Nations Medal, Passed Naval War College Pakistan, Passed Staff Course Dagger (psc+), General Operations Medal, the Silver Eagle Award and the Golden Eagle Award. In addition, He is a fellow of the Naval War College Nigeria and the United States Naval War College.
Captain Folorunsho is a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria and an associate Member, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and the Nigerian Institute of Management. He is also a Fellow of Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan and United States Naval War College Foundation. He is happily married to Mrs Olawunmi Folorunsho, and the union is blessed with 2 children.
