NN to partner foreign navies to secure Gulf of Guinea

Etim Ekpimah

Nigerian Navy is to partner with its foreign counterparts to secure the Gulf of Guinea which has become a beehive of activities for sea pirates in recent times.

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has assured that the Nigerian Navy will continue to maintain existing relationships with these partners to secure the waterways.

Ibas said this when he hosted the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Stefano Pontesilli, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Naval Headquarters on Thursday.

According to Ibas, there was close collaboration between the Gulf of Guinea region navies towards stemming the tide of recent incidences of insecurity in the region.

He further said that the Nigerian Navy had in the last four years reduced the incidences of illegalities, maritime insecurity and piracy in the Nigerian maritime space and within the Gulf of Guinea as efforts have also been strengthened to curb the crimes.

The naval boss added that the cooperation of international partners through exercises like the recently concluded Exercise GRAND AFRICAN NEMO would go a long way in further improving the safety of the region’s maritime environment as well as boost economic activities.

The CNS also assured that the Nigerian Navy is open to exploring other avenues in the areas of training and capacity building for its sailors in hydrography as well as technical expertise in the operationalization and maintenance of the Leonardo helicopter.

Speaking earlier, the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Stefano Pontesilli stated that he was in the Naval Headquarters to introduce the new Italian Defence Attaché to Nigeria, Colonel Michele Devastato to the CNS.

He stated that Italy was favourably disposed to further cooperation with the Gulf of Guinea in anti-trafficking and maritime security operations. According to the ambassador, the visit was also to intimate the CNS of the successful completion of Exercise GRAND AFRICAN NEMO and that the participating European frigates were currently docking in Tema, Accra. The ambassador added that the frigates will be moving back to the sea in the Gulf of Guinea and remain there till the middle of December to consolidate on the successes of the recently concluded exercise.