By Florence Whiteman, Lagos
Abuja – The Nigerian Navy has confirmed that this year’s edition of Exercise Obangame Express, a multinational maritime security operation, will focus on curbing the smuggling of small arms and light weapons across the Gulf of Guinea.
The annual exercise, initiated by the United States Navy, brings together naval forces from countries along the West African coastline to improve regional maritime security through joint operations and intelligence sharing.
Speaking during a media briefing on the 2025 exercise, a senior naval officer disclosed that a Spanish warship would be joining over six Nigerian naval vessels, aircraft, and other assets in the coordinated operation.
“For this year, we are focusing on small arms and light weapon smuggling. The Gulf of Guinea is known for this kind of illicit activity, and through this exercise, we aim to strengthen our patrol capacity and ensure that criminals are denied access to our maritime domain,” he said.
The officer emphasized that each edition of the exercise targets different maritime threats, and the 2025 edition will zero in on arms trafficking, which poses a significant security risk to the region.
He also highlighted the significant progress made by Nigeria in tackling maritime piracy, noting that the country was removed from the global list of piracy-prone states in March 2022.
“Nigeria’s delisting was a major milestone. Before then, piracy concerns had driven up insurance premiums and made it unattractive for shipping companies to operate here. But now, we’ve seen a marked increase in shipping activities, and that translates to more economic opportunities,” he noted.
The officer described the growing maritime security as critical to President Bola Tinubu’s blue economy initiative, which seeks to unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s vast coastal and marine resources.
Addressing concerns over past communication and coordination challenges among participating countries, he said those issues have now been largely resolved.
“That’s a thing of the past now—at least in Nigeria’s case. We’ve improved communication and intelligence sharing significantly. The International Maritime Bureau has acknowledged this improvement, and it’s clear from the rising volume of shipping traffic through our waters,” he added.
Exercise Obangame Express 2025 is expected to involve naval forces from several Gulf of Guinea nations, in collaboration with international partners, as part of ongoing efforts to secure one of the world’s most economically vital maritime corridors.
