Piracy: Nigeria, French navies collaborate to strengthen security at GoG

The Nigerian Navy is collaborating with the French Navy and other strategic partners to check piracy in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

The Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, who flagged off the exercise involving the five Nigerian Navy ships – NNS KADA, NNS ABA, NNS UDU, NNS KANO and the Deep Blue Lagos, disclosed that the exercises were initiated by the French Navy in partnership with the Nigerian Navy as well as other strategic partners.

Ogalla said the exercises, which involve national and international collaboration, were aimed at mitigating the impact of myriad maritime threats, which countries under GoG suffer.

He said, “Several security breaches in the Gulf of Guinea pose serious challenges to Nigeria’s national wellbeing.

“Most criminal activities in the maritime domain are targeted at the economic lifeline of Nigeria through crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and other nefarious acts.

“These exercises involving the deployment of naval assets at sea and ashore in multifaceted scenarios have been merged because of overlapping timelines of both.

“The sustenance of combined exercises to ensure security at the Gulf of Guinea has remained a great priority for the Nigerian Navy.

“Undeniably, `Exercises Crocodile Lift’ and `Ex-Grand African Nemo’ which have both become annual events are some of the well-thought-out international exercises involving the Nigerian Navy.

“These exercises have enhanced effective collaboration against maritime insecurity, crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, piracy, sea robbery, hostage taking as well as illegal unreported and unregulated fishing,’’

The Chief of Naval Staff assured that the exercises would add a lot of impetus to his vision of having a highly motivated professional navy that is capable of shaping security outcomes in Nigeria’s maritime domain.

He also added that the exercises would show how Nigerian Navy is committed to the objective of protecting the GoG, under the Yaoundé Protocol.

The Yaoundé Protocol was signed by 25 West and Central African countries, ECOWAS and the Economic Community of Central African States in 2013.