As part of its contribution to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) , the Nigerian Navy has deployed five warships, two helicopters and two fast attack boats for this year’s multinational sea exercise, GRAND AFRICAN NEMO 2024.
The joint sea exercise is being executed with naval platforms from Nigeria, Benin and Togo, as well as allies from United Kingdom (UK), France and Spain and seeks to foster collaborations, seamless intelligence sharing and effective communication between participating naval forces.
Altogether, about 26 countries are billed to participate in the seven-day exercise.
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, who launched the exercise onboard the Landing Ship Tank (LST) NNS KADA, said participating regional navies would concurrently conduct the exercise in their territories, adding that the simulations would be synchronised such that each navy would hand over the next to depict real life situations.
Admiral Ogalla, represented by the Admiral Superintendent of Naval Ordnance Depot (ASNOD), Rear Admiral Livingston Izu, said the exercise was to equip Navies and Coast Guards of GoG region with strategic international partners who identify with the vision of a safe and secure region for shared prosperity and development.
The CNS noted that the exercise presented opportunity for like-minded partners to develop African-led solutions to transnational threats and challenges to promote regional security, urging participating Nigerian ships, personnel and maritime information entities to embrace GRAND AFRICAN NEMO 2024 to attain objectives of the exercise as articulated in the directive promulgated by NHQ.
According to Admiral Ogalla: “May I therefore use this opportunity to restate the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to regional collaboration, geared towards ensuring and emplacing a safe and secure common maritime space for economic activities to thrive.
“Recent collaborative efforts between the Nigerian Navy and the African Union towards signing a memorandum of understanding on the provision of strategic sea lift and its implication for overall regional maritime security is a clear testament of our resolve in this regard.
“These efforts are also in alignment with the planned takeoff of the combined maritime task force under the auspices of the African Union for effective regional collaboration.
“At this point it is important to not only reaffirm the unalloyed commitment of the Nigerian Navy to our constitutional role of defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria, but also to the sustained fight against crude oil theft under my able and steady leadership.
“I am to emphasise, that as the bastion of Nigeria’s sea power potentials, the Nigerian Navy will continue to remain relentless and resolute in this task of ensuring a safe and secured maritime space that facilitates a thriving blue economy towards enhanced prosperity for all Nigerians in line with the President’s renewed hope agenda.
“In this regard, the Nigerian Navy will continue to remain a highly professional and dedicated military service that all well-meaning Nigerians will continue to be proud of.”
In his welcome address, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Michael Gregory Oamen, explained that the exercise would hold concurrently within the 5 maritime operation zones in the Gulf of Guinea and would be executed during national and zonal phases.
Said the FOC: “On its part, the NN will deploy five ships, two Special Boat Service (SBS), detachments, two helicopters and maritime operation centres.
“Joining the NN during the national and zonal phases will be ships from the UK and Spain. I have absolutely no doubt that the various training scenarios that will be conducted over the next few days will provide the needed impetus towards enhancing our collective maritime combat experiences in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime assets.”