The Nigerian Navy is fostering strategic partnerships with other countries, targeted at rejigging its maritime security operations in its domain and in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Nigerian Navy expects to achieve this feat with the ongoing International Maritime Conference (IMC) featuring 21 African countries, 17 non-African countries and 13 International countries.
With transnational threats ravaging the region’s maritime domain and hampering the potential of the blue economy in the region, the Nigerian Navy believes that ameliorating these threats goes beyond the scope and capability of one nation.
The Chief of Navy Staff (CNS), Emmanuel Ogalla While giving his remarks at the IMC on Thursday, noted that international collaborative efforts are what was required to promote the Blue Economy and a sustainable maritime security architecture in Africa.
Ogalla opined that by the end of the conference, there should be collectively developed strategies to address Africa’s inherent security challenges arising from the development of the Blue Economy.
He acknowledged the product of past regional and continental levels cooperation including the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050 and the 2013 Yaounde Declaration, which established the Code of Conduct, Memorandum of Understanding and Protocols for collective maritime security initiatives for member states of the Gulf of Guinea.
These initiatives, upon which the Nigerian Navy is hoisting a sustainable maritime security architecture led to the operationalisation of the Combined Maritime Task Force in 2023, with Headquarters in Lagos State.
As part of regional initiatives to promote maritime security, the African Union through its communique 1012 of 2021 established the Combined Maritime Task Force for the region.
Ogalla said, “A Nigerian Navy officer has been designated as Commander of the Task Force while the 3 Task Groups of the Task Force, which covers the Northern, Central and Southern sectors of the Gulf of Guinea are hosted by Senegal, Nigeria and Republic of Congo respectively.
“Though the Task Force is evolving, this Conference will facilitate discourse on concepts and collaborative plans in actualizing aspirations of the Combined Maritime Task Force to support the region’s blue economy.
“On its part, the Nigerian Navy has rejigged its maritime security operations to ensure protection of Nigeria’s Blue Economy in accordance with her statutory mandate.
“In line with its 2021 – 2030 strategic plan, the Nigerian Navy embarked on fleet recapitalization, manpower development, indigenous shipbuilding efforts and strategic partnership to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain and by extension, the Gulf of Guinea region.”
Recently, the Nigerian Navy Hydrography Department was upgraded to the National Hydrographic Agency.
Ogalla said that the upgrade was aimed at improving charting and seabed mapping of Nigeria’s maritime domain.
“The Nigerian Navy’s Naval Dockyard Limited has also embarked on ship repair efforts and training for our friendly navies.
“For instance, the Naval Dockyard is carrying out extensive repairs of 6 Benin Republic naval ships. Presently 3 of the ships, BNS PENDJARI, BNS CUOFFO and BNS MATELOT BRICE KPOMASSE are currently in the dock undergoing major refits,” Ogalla noted.
The International Maritime Conference is a part of the activities lined up to commemorate the Nigerian Navy’s 68th Anniversary, in Lagos State.