Rear Admiral OC Medani

1. Rear Admiral Obiora Charles Medani was born on 13 September 1960 in Port Harcourt. He is a native of Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. He attended St. Vincent Primary School Odida Ogidi where he sat and passed the common entrance examination from Primary 5 in 1973. He then went to Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha and passed
the West African School Certificate Examination in Division One in 1978. Between 1978 and 1980, he worked as a primary school teacher at the Army Children School, Ikpoba Hill, Benin, and financial clerk with a private company in Onitsha and an auxiliary school bursar at Ezinifite High School in Anambra State.
2. In June 1980, Rear Admiral Medani enrolled as an officer cadet at the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 28 Regular Course. He was commissioned sub lieutenant in July 1983, promoted lieutenant in July 1988, lieutenant commander in July 1993, commander in July 1998, captain in July 2003, commodore in July 2008 before his present rank of rear admiral in January
2012.
3. Rear Admiral Medani successfully completed the Sub Lieutenant Technical course at INS Venduruthy, Cochin, India in 1986, the Navigation and Direction specialization course at NNS QUORRA Apapa, Lagos in 1993, Junior Division Staff Course at the Command and Staff College, Jaji in 1992 and the Senior Division Staff Course at the Pakistan Navy War College, Lahore in 1998. In 2008, he graduated as a fellow of the US Naval War College. He holds two Bachelors of Science degrees. The first in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and the second in Strategic Studies from the University of Karachi, Pakistan.
4. Rear Admiral Medani has held several appointments in the Nigerian Navy. He has served afloat as Training and Navigation Officer onboard the Cadet Training Ship RUWAN YARO, Gunnery Officer onboard the missile ship EKPE, Watch Keeping Duties onboard the landing ship AMBE, Navigation Officer on board the frigate ARADU, Executive officer onboard the missile ship AGU and Commanding Officer of the Landing Ship Tank AMBE. The shore appointment held by Rear Admiral Medani includes Base Administration Officer, Naval College Onne, Staff Officer 2 Information at Naval Headquarters, Staff Officer 2 Operation at HQ Western Naval Command, Chief Instructor, Navigation and Direction School, the Training Commander NNS QUORRA,
Directing Staff and Staff Officer Co-ordination, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji-Kaduna. After serving as the Director of Naval Information in Naval Headquarters Abuja, Rear Admiral Medani commanded NNS VICTORY. Thereafter, he was posted to the Naval College, Onne as Commandant and from there to Defence Headquarters as the pioneer Deputy Director, Search
and Rescue and subsequently to the Nigerian Defence Academy as the Director Co-ordination from where he went to the Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command as Chief Staff Officer. He returned to the Naval Headquarters as the Director of Training and following his promotion to the rank of rear admiral was first appointed the Director, Project Implementation and Monitoring at Naval
Headquarters before his deployment as the Flag Officer Commanding, the Eastern Naval Command with responsibility for protecting the bulk of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon assets in the Gulf of Guinea. Rear Admiral Medani was appointed the Chief of Training and Operation at the Naval Headquarters in January 2015
and is still holding the appointment.
5. Rear Admiral Medani has seen active combat in Sierra Leone where he served in the Headquarters of the ECOMOG Task Force Sierra Leone as Deputy Chief Information Officer and General Staff Officer Grade 2 Staff Duties and Plans under the late Brigadier General Mitikishe Maxwell Khobe. He also served in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces Defence Headquarters
as General Staff Officer Grade One, Staff Duties and Plans.
6. Rear Admiral Medani is blessed with three daughters and one boy. A widely traveled man, Rear Admiral Medani loves playing chess, reading books on military and ancient history as well as philosophy.