By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, has reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Navy towards ensuring a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
Ogalla gave the commitment on Wednesday, at the opening of the 8th edition Symposium of Heads of Navies and Coastguards in the GoG, on maritime environment in Abuja.
The symposium with the theme “Maritime Security and Sustainable Development in the Gulf of Guinea” is hosted by the Nigerian Navy in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the French Navy.
He said that the GoG region had been discovered to hold enormous resources, particularly in the area of oil and gas.
He added that the sustainable development and exploitation of those resources as well as the management were critical to Africa’s growth and global economy.
According to him, there is no gain saying that Nigeria’s economy depends largely on its oil resources, and that is similar to some other Gulf of Guinea nations.
The CNS said that the sea was a fluid environment that required shared commitment.
“In line with our statutory roles, the Nigerian Navy continues to conduct maritime security operations and champion the process for international collaboration and security initiatives for securing the region.
“In spite of our efforts and the efforts of other neighbouring countries in the GoG to ensure maritime security for legitimate businesses to thrive, there are still some myriads of challenges.
“These challenges include sea robbery, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, human trafficking, just to mention a few.
“Most of these crimes are transnational in nature and require a collective approach involving all navies and coastguards,’’ he said.
Ogalla said the symposium was aimed to foster world creation through the development of Africa’s oceans, particularly the GoG nation’s economy, within a secured maritime environment.
He said that the symposium had since inception in 2015, strived to promote maritime security in the region.
“This symposium has always been a veritable tool for us to discuss issues that relate to how well we are implementing the recommendations of the Yaonde Code of Conduct.
“It has always been a veritable tool for us to assess our performance in the area of information sharing, particularly as it affects the regional information system.
“The complexities of maritime security are ever-evolving and transcend national borders, so most of our capabilities in monitoring and sharing of real-time information, as well as for the key maritime offenders, transcend our borders.
“The Interconnectedness of our waters also requires that we strengthen international partnerships for enduring solutions to maritime security,’’ he said.
In his remarks, the Chief of the French Navy, Adm. Nicolas Vaujour, said the symposium provides a platform for discussing increasing challenges of piracy, illegal trafficking, terrorism, and environmental threats in GoG.
Vaujour said the sea was not only a space for cooperation but also for competition and conflict, adding that cooperation between naval forces was key to addressing maritime challenges.
He said the various joint operations and exercises, such as Grand African NEMO and Crocodile Lift, had shown the effectiveness of mutual support and shared information.
He reaffirms France’s commitment to supporting regional efforts and expresses hope that the symposium would lead to concrete initiatives and progress toward securing the region through collaboration and trust.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the event was attended by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, among others.
The symposium has in attendance, no fewer than 30 heads of navies and coastguards from GoG countries and international partners such as European Union and the French Navy. (NAN)
