Top leaders from the United States Africa Command, Nigerian Navy, representatives of maritime forces from the Gulf of Guinea, Europe, North and South America as well as regional and international organisations gathered in Lagos yesterday for the opening ceremony of the 2019 multi-national sea drills tagged ‘Exercise Obangame Express.’
The yearly event is to improve cooperation among navies of the participating nations in the area of maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.
U.S. Consul-General, John Bray, in his welcome remarks at the ceremony hosted by Nigeria’s Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, said Obangame Exercise had grown in leaps and bounds, both in complexity and 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 co-operation, maritime domain awareness, information-sharing practices and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity,” he said. Read more