Nigerian Navy Set To Re-Strategise Maritime Security In Gulf Of Guinea

The Nigerian Navy has said that its forth coming retreat will focus on finding lasting solutions to oil theft, arms smuggling, piracy and emerging crimes in the Gulf of Guinea region.
The Chief of Policy and Plans at the Navy Headquarters, Rear Admiral Johnson Olutoyin, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.
Olutoyin said that the conference would hold from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 in Asaba, Delta, with resource persons drawn from the Armed Forces and the academia.
According to him, the objective of the retreat is to create a forum for robust introspective discussions on evolving sustainable strategies to achieve greater operational efficiency in the Navy.
“In recent times, the challenges in the Nigerian maritime environment and the entire Gulf of Guinea region are assuming very fluid and complex dimensions.
“It is no longer the traditional challenges such as smuggling, piracy, illegal unreported and unregulated fishing and oil bunkering alone that are witnessed in our maritime environment.
“We are now witnessing more organised challenges with local and international connections in areas of crude oil theft, drug trafficking, gun running, illegal immigration, terrorism and many others.
“These challenges have negative implications for our nation’s economy; but the good news is that the Nigerian Navy has resolved to deal with the challenges appropriately and effectively,’’ he said.
Olutoyin said the choice of the theme of the conference: “Nigerian Navy and Emerging Maritime Security Challenges’’, was informed by the Navy’s determination to proffer solutions to the emerging maritime security challenges. 
He said that the retreat would feature paper presentations on three crucial issues – emerging maritime security, challenges and the imperative for the Nigerian Navy.
According to him, the other presentations will focus on change management with specific emphasis on attitudinal change and discipline of personnel as well as inter-agency cooperation.
He also said that the Nigerian Navy would take advantage of the retreat to examine its operational capabilities and other salient issues bordering on its operations.