By Philip Nwosu
The Nigerian Navy has deployed 10 war ships to the Gulf of Guinea to train with vessels of world powers in a multi-national fleet maneuver code name EXERCISE OBANGAME EXPRESS 2023.
OBANGAME EXPRESS is an annual multinational maritime exercise for navies within the Gulf of Guinea, to encourage maritime security and safety in line with the Yaoundé protocol agreed by participating nations.
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, who flagged-off the exercise in Lagos said 10 ships, eight boats, two helicopters, one maritime patrol aircraft and maritime domain awareness assets and elements of the Special Boat Services (SBS), was also deployed by the force to participate in the maneuvers
The Naval Chief flagged-off the maritime exercise aboard the new acquired Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) KADA at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos saying that Obangame Express 2023 was particularly instructive, considering efforts of the African Union at establishing and operationalising regional taskforces.
He said that the introduction of the OBANGAME EXPRESS, would enhance the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, as well as develop sustainable blue economy, which is the future of the world.
His words: “According to the United Nations conference on trade and development, the African Continental Free Trade areas has potentials to boost Intra African trade by 33 percent and cut the continents trade deficit by 51 percent.
“Notably, the maritime industry and the shipping sector in particular constitute a critical driver in the implementation of the ideals of the African Continental freetrade agreement.”
Admiral Gambo said that the Gulf of Guinea countries are already collaborating with the establishment of a maritime taskforce to further facilitate security and enhance international commerce.
He said: “Accordingly, Obangame Express presents another opportunity for the Nigerian Navy to work together for regional and friendly foreign navies in this period of Yaoundé accord.”
The CNS said that the exercise from its inception in 2010 had grown in both competitive and in accomplishment starting with just nine participating nation’s and has moved to 28 participating nations, noting that the exercise will positively impact on Nigerian Navy’s readiness for combat operation through training, while exposing other maritme related agencies for benefits of inter-agency cooperation and international collaboration.
Admiral Gambo said: “Sequel to delisting Nigeria from the list of piracy prone countries by the International Maritime Bureau in 2022, Nigerian Navy has sustained zero piracy attack within Nigerian waters till date.
“Furthermore, reports from various regional maritime awareness capability centres indicate improvement in legitimate shipping activities with negligible crime rates,” he said.
Gambo said that these achievements are attributable to sustained presence of NNS at sea, increased regional and international synergy as well as maritime domain awareness, as facilitated by exercises such as Obangame.
“To consolidate on gains of this exercise, I am aware that the U.S. Coastguard Ship Spencer and Spanish Navy maritime patrol will be participating in this year’s exercise.
“This development again underscores the importance of Obangame, particularly in building requisite human capacity that will foster better understanding and information sharing especially in a fast changing environment.”
Earlier the Commander of US Sixth Fleet, Vice Admiral Thomas Ishee attributed the reduction in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea to the sustained activities of Navies within the area.
Admiral Ishee made this known on Friday, in Lagos, while speaking to journalists on the sideline of the in-port training component of the ongoing 2023 Obangame Express.
He said OBANGAME is the largest multinational maritime exercise in Western and Central Africa and the 13th edition with 33 participating nations, adding that the exercise is also an opportunity for partners to work together to develop African-led solutions to shared transnational challenges and promote global security.
According to Ishee, Obangame express has been on for a number of years and is a series of exercises that enhance maritime security.
He said that during the exercise, a variety of events would be practised, including boarding, and search and seizure, and the ability to conduct maritime domain awareness, not with just the Nigerian Navy, but with all of the partners in the region.
This, he said, would create a shared sense of maritime security in the region.