The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has flagged off the Nigerian Navy’s annual sea exercise, code-named Exercise Eru Obudu, describing it as a major strategic operation designed to boost Nigeria’s maritime defence and guarantee security across the Gulf of Guinea.
Declaring the exercise open, Abbas said it represents a test of the Navy’s readiness and an expression of its responsibility as guardian of the nation’s maritime resources and territorial waters.
According to him, the yearly exercise is crafted to simulate real operational conditions including anti-piracy missions, illegal oil bunkering interdiction, logistics, search and rescue operations, fleet manoeuvres and inter-agency cooperation. He noted that the drills are intended to identify gaps in the Navy’s capability and strengthen its ability to respond to complex maritime threats. Abbas said under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Navy remains prepared to defend national assets and secure the Gulf of Guinea, adding that the service continues to play a stabilising role in the region following consistent decline in piracy incidents.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the flag-off ceremony, the Naval Chief clarified that his directive to officers to approach the exercise like military combat is aimed at ensuring that training in peacetime prepares officers for real-time operations when necessary. He said officers must push themselves and their equipment to the limit to determine the Navy’s level of readiness and areas where improvements are required.
On the recent security concerns in neighbouring Benin Republic, the CNS stated that the timing of the exercise was coincidental, but pointed out that the Gulf of Guinea security mandate covers all adjoining maritime environments including Benin. He assured that the Navy remains ready to operate wherever it is assigned in line with national interest.
Abbas reiterated that Nigerian waters have remained piracy-free for more than two years and said the Navy intends to sustain the record through increased patrols and operational visibility at sea. He also noted that illegal and unregulated fishing remains a concern, but assured that the Navy would intensify surveillance and maritime policing operations.
He commended officers, ratings and support units participating in the exercise and assured coastal communities and maritime stakeholders that the Nigerian Navy remains committed to safeguarding the nation’s maritime environment, improving economic activities along coastal areas and ensuring safer waterways across the region.
