Consolidating Capacity Towards Protection of Gulf of Guinea Waters

In a bid to consolidate capacity in protecting the Gulf of Guinea waters, the Nigerian Navy recently partnered its Spanish counterparts in a two-day sea exercise, Chiemelie Ezeobi reports

The Gulf of Guinea (GoG) waters covers 2.3 million square kilometers (888,000 sq m) and borders more than a dozen countries. Lying across 19 coastal and island states, the GoG coastline, which stretches from the waters off Senegal to the south of Angola, is a treasure trove of rich resources.

Comprising 26 countries grouped into two Regional Economic Communities (RECs) namely -Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS, 11 states with the return of Rwanda) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; 15 states), the GoG countries’ total population is about 472 million, with 160 and 310 million inhabitants for ECCAS and ECOWAS, respectively.

Covering a surface area of 11,755,258 square kilometers, including a coastline of over 6000 kilometres from Senegal to Angola, the GoG countries have an estimated 24 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, that is five per cent of global reserves; five million barrels of crude oil per day; 40 per cent of Europe’s petroleum consumption, and 29 per cent of US petroleum consumption.

Also, the GoG is also the primary conduit of international trade and is central to the economy of the associated regions. It is increasingly looked upon today as resource provider and critical contributor to national growth and prosperity of the several nations lining its coasts and even those landward and with no shared boundaries.

But despite its rich throve of resources, the GoG waters face diverse maritime threats. It’s more alarming given that the maritime environment is one of the mainstays of the Nigerian economy.

It is a given that these diverse threats of insecurity has over the years been a considerable source of concern as the nation’s network of oil and gas installations as well as associated shipping have been threatened by maritime crimes such as piracy, sea robbery, Crude Oil Theft (COT), illegal oil bunkering, smuggling, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, militancy and kidnapping for ransom.

Thus, the dedication by the Nigerian Navy (NN) to ensure a safe and secure maritime domain is not in itself surprising given that Nigeria, as one of the countries in the GoG has a coastline of about 420nautical miles (nm) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200nm covering about 84,000 square nm of the National Maritime Environment (NME).

Also, the nation’s maritime area of interest which includes the entire GoG and is about 574,800 square nautical miles spanning a total coastline of 2,874nm from Senegal to Angola is a huge maritime space rich in numerous hydrocarbon and mineral resources and also serves as a strategic route for maritime trade.

Asides protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity, the NN also contributes its quota at the regional level, by patrolling the waters of the GoG. Thus, to consolidate on such capacity established over a long time, the NN recently partnered their Spanish counterpart on a two-day sea exercise in the GoG waters.

For the exercise, a total of four Nigerian Navy Ships, a helicopter and elements of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (SBS) participated. The ships involved were NNS NNS PROSPERITY, NNS NGURU, NNS EKULU and NNS OSUN including the NN helicopter, which carried out medical evacuation at sea. The exercise was done with Spanish Navy Ship (SNS) FUROR.

At sea, the fleet conducted several exercises including anti-piracy operations, fleet maneuvers, communication, Vessel Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), Search and Rescue, among others.

According to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Jason Gbassa, the visit further consolidated the relationship between the two countries which went a long way to improve capacity on the side of the NN, adding that “as part of our naval responsibilities, navies all over the world as a universal service, always collaborate and cooperate in areas of maritime operations. Their port visit to Lagos is inline with that function of the navy and it is our pleasure to have them around”.

The FOC also noted that the exercise will go a long way to improve capacity of monitoring the maritime environment while further cementing their relationship, especially as both navies have had relationship that dates back for a while.

“Over the last two years, this is the fourth SNS that is visiting Nigeria and at each of their visit, we conduct exercise together as regards the protection of the Gulf of Guinea. Their experience must have informed and encouraged your port call, so we intend to build on your visit to go further into other areas of training. Areas where we will have to do joint training exchange programmes at the higher level that will contribute to all our efforts to secure not just our waters but indeed the Gulf of Guinea”.

Also speaking, Commanding Officer, SNS Furor, Lieutenant Commander Diego Mendoza said collaborating with the NN, which is the biggest navy at the GoG would yield profitable results interms of improving security, adding that spanish vessels usually don’t sail at the Gulf therefore the collaboration provided a wonderful opportunity for such experience and opportunity to work with the NN as well.