Naval chief advocates common network for maritime security in West Africa

Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has called on
navies in West Africa to develop a common network that would facilitate
greater integration for seamless information sharing across the sub-region.

Ibas gave this charge at the 60th Anniversary of the Ghana Navy yesterday.

He stressed the need for member countries to reduce the bureaucracy
required to share information, train personnel in common official language
used by member nations as well as develop and share data regarding convicts
of maritime offences.

These measures, he posited, would greatly enhance maritime operations and
the collective desire to rid the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) of criminality within
the shortest possible time.

While reiterating the commitment of the Nigerian Navy to emplace a secure
maritime environment for the prosperity of the country, the GoG countries
and the global commons in general, Ibas offered that the availability of
the regional Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Training School in Lagos was
another prospect to be harnessed by member countries.