By Steve Agbota
Nigeria has achieved another mileage in it’s anti-piracy drive as the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has now delisted  Nigeria from it’s piracy list.
The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Adm. Awwal Gambo who made this disclosure on Thursday said that the IMB has exited Nigeria from it’s Piracy List.
Gambo said this at the Joint Nigeria-European Union collaborative ceremony which held at the Western Naval Command, Apapa, Lagos.
The CNS who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Naval Headquarters, Abuja, Rear Adm. Suleiman Garba explained that this feat was achieved following the significant success occasioned by the Nigerian Navy’s increased maritime security operations against maritime criminalities in collaboration with other agencies.
“The commitment of the Nigerian Navy towards maritime security has yielded dividends and a lot has been achieved by the Nigerian Navy in the safeguard of the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria has continued to record successes in the anti-piracy war as activities of pirates in the Gulf of Guinea have reached an all-time low in more than a decade. The Nigerian Navy has continuously acquired new assets and has further improved its capabilities to maintain a large fleet and to operate far beyond its territorial waters,” he said.
Gambo said that Nigeria had a robust and professional navy with historic tradition and has collaborated with other Gulf of Guinea navies to address maritime security situation in the Gulf of Guinea.
“A notable result from the collaboration is the arrest of 10 pirates whose jail terms were secured for hijacking a Chinese fishing vessel, FV HAI LU FENG II off Cote D’Ivoire in May 2020,” he said.
Gambo said that a state of the art Maritime Domain Awareness facilities comprising; the Falcon Eye and the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Centres allow the Nigerian Navy to monitor its territorial waters and beyond.
“I applaud the Federal Government’s commitment and decisive initiative on the Deep Blue Project to tackle the menace of maritime insecurity in the waterways.
“I also commend the European Union (EU) for the fundamental support and partnership in operationalising the Yaoundé Code of Conduct through diverse programmes and initiatives towards capacity development in the Gulf of Guinea. We have engaged with you in notable programmes such as the support to West Africa Integrated Maritime Security (SWAIMS) which only this week donated 30 Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats to 12 West African coastal states,” he said.
The CNS appreciated the EU’s Coordinated Maritime Presence which complimented other maritime security programmes and projects in the Gulf of Guinea.
Gambo called for enhanced collaboration with EU and coastal states within the framework of the Yaoundé Architecture on information sharing in order to bridge the apparent existing communication gap.
“I also welcome Italian Navy Ship RIZZO and the Spanish Navy Ship SERVIOLA as well as the Italian and Spanish governments for their participatory approach in conducting maritime exercises in the Gulf of Guinea.
“The two naval ships are currently on port call to Lagos to run ashore as well as for replenishment of required logistics for further operations and voyage,” he said.
Also speaking, the EU Senior Coordinator for Gulf of Guinea, Mr Nicolas Berlanga said that collaborating with the Nigerian Navy would help protect our freedom of investment and improve economic development.
“It is good that we coordinate internally better and engage strategically with the Nigerian Navy.
“We will work together and offer our partnership to the Nigerian Navy for continued strengthening of security at the Gulf of Guinea.
“This is important and will be of benefit because freedom of navigation and investment of economic activities is also our freedom,” Berlanga said.