As part of the events for the 2019 Obangame Express, the US Consul General, John Bray, and Nigeria’s Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas , have inaugurated the Nigerian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness Training School in Apapa, Lagos.
The training school was built by the Nigerian Navy and equipped by the US Navy, according to a statement.
The US Consul General described the Maritime Domain Awareness Training School as one of the most evident examples of the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
The training facility is meant improve the efficiency of the military in the fight against pirates, especially in the Gulf of Guinea.
“This school will be a regional centre of excellence in the area of maritime domain awareness where neighbouring countries will be trained,” Bray added.
Also speaking, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Ibok-Ette Ibas, said that the Regional Maritime Awareness Domain (RMDA) Training school is to assist naval personnel in tackling maritime security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea (GOG).
Ibas said that school would enhance maritime surveillance and the operationalization of the Yaoundé Accord.
He said that the RMDA training school was facilitated by the US Government and urged regional navies to seize the opportunity for joint training offered to steadily improve capacity for collective response to security challenges in the GOG.
“The training school is expected to be beneficial to Nigeria, as it allows the training of a pool of naval personnel and other stakeholders operating legitimately in Nigeria’s maritime domain.
“The training school will also facilitate the synergy and cooperation between GOG countries in fulfillment and operationalisation of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct,” he said.
The International Maritime Bureau, in its global piracy report released in January, said it recorded a “marked rise in attacks against ships and crews around West Africa”, describing the Gulf of Guinea as “particularly dangerous for seafarers.”
“In a worrisome trend, this violence accelerated in the last quarter of the year. 41 kidnappings were recorded off Nigeria between October and December, more than half the annual total,” it added.
Obangame Express is part of a comprehensive strategy by the US Africa Command and US Naval Forces Europe-Africa to provide collaborative opportunities among African forces and international partners that address maritime security concerns, according to a statement.
Bray noted that the Obangame Exercise had grown in leaps and bounds, both in complexity and in accomplishment.
“We note the efforts by regional navies to work together in the spirit of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, which is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise, to enhance the collective capabilities of the Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity,” he said.
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