Navy strategies to enhance maritime security

Akpan Umoh, Uyo

The Nigerian Navy has strategized to enhance maritime security across the coastal waters in the country to ensure the safety of the maritime environment.

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the facility tour of NNS Jubilee in Ikot Abasi on Wednesday.

Ogalla said that the navy would improve on its surveillance capabilities, enhance patrols and increase its ability to gather intelligence to nib maritime crimes in the bud.

“Maritime security and protection of the maritime domain is one of the primary responsibilities of the Nigerian Navy.

“We have been doing this over the years and we are going to redouble our efforts in this direction. To this extent, we are going to improve our surveillance capabilities, ensuring that we have full coverage of our backwaters. 

“We are going to enhance our patrols and presence within the sea and creeks. Already we are making efforts to get more platforms to be able to achieve that.

“We are also going to increase our ability to gather intelligence so that our patrols will be target driven, save cost, minimise efforts and achieve better results.

“This is what we are going to do and we hope that very soon we will start seeing positive results,” Ogalla said.

Earlier, the CNS paid a courtesy visit to Gov Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and said the state remains critical to the operation of the Nigerian Navy, both in the military and policing aspects.

Ogalla acknowledged the state government’s support for the Naval facility at Esene, providing land for the expansion of the school at Uta Ewa, donating a girls’ school in Onna and other support to the NNS Jubilee.

Those on the entourage of the CNS were Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command, Rear Adm. Olusola Oluwagbire and the Commander NNS Jubilee, Commodore Madumom Ide, among others.