No fewer than 30 heads of navies and coastguards of the Gulf of Guinea have arrived in Abuja for the 8th edition symposium on maritime environment being hosted by the Nigerian Navy.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, disclosed this on Tuesday night at Transcorp Hilton.

Mr Ogalla said the symposium’s objective was to discuss issues that affect maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea as a strategic sea route.
He said the region also hosted a lot of resources, particularly oil and gas.

According to him, it behooves the navies and coastguards of the GoG to ensure that they provide an enabling environment by providing the security necessary for businesses to thrive.

The ambassador-designate of the European Union, Gautier Mignot, said the event was organised to look at the kind of support they could garner to tackle insecurity in the region.

Mr Mignot commended Mr Ogalla and the Nigerian Navy for organising the event with great attendance from countries from the GoG and European countries.

He said it was key to support the African strategy known as the ‘Yaoundé Architecture for maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea’.

The Chief of the French Navy, Nicolas Vaujour, said the French navy had been working with its partners to implement and reinforce maritime security.

Mr Vaujour said the French navy had also conducted exercises with the Nigerian navy to connect, adding that it had helped them share information and find solutions.

The Chief of Staff of the Gabonese National Navy, Bekale Hubert, said it was a priority for all countries around the GoG to be united and secure the region.

He called for pooling forces and information sharing to strengthen the fight against maritime crime.

(NAN)