By Yemi Olakitan
The Nigerian Navy has launched ‘Exercise Crocodile Lift’ and ‘Exercise Grand African Nemo 2023’ on Monday to improve Gulf of Guinea maritime security. Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff, inaugurated the exercises on NNS KADA at NNS BEECROFT in Apapa, Lagos State.
Five Nigerian Navy ships—NSS KADA, ABA, UDU, KANO, and Deep Blue Lagos—are participating in the maneuvers.
Ogalla said the French Navy, Nigerian Navy, and other key partners started the exercises.
“Several Gulf of Guinea security breaches pose serious challenges to Nigeria’s national well-being,” he stated. Most marine crimes target Nigeria’s economic lifeline through crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, and other nefarious acts.”
To alleviate the many maritime hazards facing Gulf of Guinea countries, Ogalla said national and international coordination was needed.
“The Nigerian Navy has prioritized maintaining combined exercises to ensure Gulf of Guinea security,” he stated. “Undeniably, Exercises Crocodile Lift and Ex-Grand African Nemo, which have become annual events, are well-planned international exercises involving the Nigerian Navy. These exercises have improved collaboration against maritime insecurity, crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, piracy, sea robbery, hostage taking, and illegal unreported and unregulated fishing,” Ogalla said.
He noted the exercises would boost his vision of a highly motivated professional navy that could shape Nigeria’s maritime security.
The exercises would also show the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to the Yaoundé Protocol’s maritime security goals in the Gulf of Guinea, Ogalla said.
In June 2013, 25 West and Central African nations, ECOWAS, and the ECCAS signed the Yaounde Protocol in Cameroon. The Gulf of Guinea has the greatest pirate rates in the world, and they vowed to cooperate to stop it in the treaty. Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, and Guinea are the 16 Gulf of Guinea coastal countries. Also included are Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, Nigeria, Ghana, São Tomé and Principe, Togo, and Sierra Leone.
Five Nigerian Navy ships—NNS KADA, ABA, UDU, KANO, and Deep Blue Lagos—would participate in the exercises.
Ogalla said the French Navy, Nigerian Navy, and other key partners started the exercises.
“Several Gulf of Guinea security breaches threaten Nigeria’s national security.Most maritime criminal operations target Nigeria’s economic lifeline through crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, and other felonies.These exercises involving naval asset deployment at sea and ashore in multifaceted scenarios have been merged due to overlapping timelines,” he said.
He stated that Gulf of Guinea countries faced many maritime hazards and needed a comprehensive national and international response to address them.
“These exercises have improved collaboration against maritime insecurity, crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, piracy, sea robbery, hostage taking, and illegal unreported and unregulated fishing,” he said.