The Nigerian Navy has commenced a cybersecurity competition aimed at enhancing personnel proficiency and strengthening the nation’s defence capability against emerging cyber threats.

The Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Ebiobowei Zipele, said this at the opening of the competition at the command’s headquarters in Ebube-Eleme, Rivers, on Wednesday.

The competition is with the theme, ”2026 Annual Inter-Command Communications and Cybersecurity Competition.”

Mr Zipele said that the exercise organised by the communications and information technology (CIT) unit was designed to improve operational communications and cybersecurity standards within the service.

He described communication as the backbone of military operations, essential for command and control, coordination, decision-making and mission success.

He stated, “The competition will harness the expertise, talent and dedication of personnel at the forefront of providing communications for naval operations and defending our digital space.”

Mr Zipele explained that the competition was conceived to address identified shortcomings in communication procedures and improve professionalism among operators.

According to him, the exercise is designed to test personnel proficiency in communications and cyber-security while reinforcing standard operational procedures.

He added, “The competition will develop the capacity of CIT personnel and reinvigorate standard communications procedures with a view to enhancing and sustaining professionalism.

“Participants will be tested through simulated real-world communication scenarios and cyber threats to assess their ability to adapt and protect naval digital assets.”

The naval chief said that the three-day competition would feature 36 officers drawn from 12 naval schools and two medical centres located in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Events areas of focus include visual communication, voice procedure, message handling, radio system set-up, general communications knowledge and fleet work.

Other categories are information technology knowledge, cybersecurity, and tactical encryption and decryption.

Mr Zipele said outstanding teams and individuals would receive trophies at the end of the competition.

He commended participants for their commitment and determination to advance the navy’s communications and cyber security capabilities.

“The participant’s contribution will be invaluable in shaping the future of communications, information technology and cyber security in the Nigerian navy,” he said.

He encouraged participants to approach every challenge with a commitment to learning and continuous improvement.

The event is designed to train personnel, strengthen the military’s cyber security posture and build a workforce capable of defending Nigeria’s critical defence infrastructure and communication systems.

(NAN)