Navy, Stakeholders Brainstorm Ways for Enhanced Maritime Economy, Security

Navy, Stakeholders Brainstorm Ways for Enhanced Maritime Economy, Security

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, has convened a security meeting with key maritime stakeholders to explore ways to enhance both maritime security and the marine economy.

Vice Admiral Ogalla attributed the sluggish Nigerian economy partly to the lingering downturn in the maritime sector.

He made this point during his opening remarks at a stakeholder engagement meeting held at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja, on Tuesday.

He emphasized the need to revitalize this critical sector to achieve economic prosperity.

Ogalla stated that since assuming office seven months ago, the Nigerian Navy has prioritized securing the maritime domain through various operations.

“Despite a decline in maritime security incidents, leading to Nigeria’s removal from the piracy-prone country list in 2022, we have also witnessed an increase in oil production. However, we still fall short of OPEC quotas, impacting the government’s revenue generation and hindering efforts to address pressing economic challenges.”

He highlighted the importance of generating sufficient resources from the oil and gas sector to address these challenges.

“This meeting is designed to collaborate with industry players on optimizing our operations and performance,” he explained.

“Maritime security is essential for business growth across various sectors. We are here to consolidate our operational gains and address shared challenges, including the ease of doing business, adherence to operational procedures, and more,” he added.

The meeting aimed to foster synergy and mutual trust among maritime stakeholders. “We will address your concerns, improve working relationships, and optimize our collective benefit within the maritime domain,” Ogalla assured the participants.

“With the collective expertise present, I am confident we can advance our understanding of how to contribute meaningfully to realizing the resource potential of the newly created Marine and Blue Economy Ministry, aligning with President Tinubu’s ‘Renew Hope’ agenda,” he expressed.

“We also appreciate President Tinubu’s support for the Nigerian Navy,” he added.

“This meeting will guide our actions in jointly protecting the environment, fostering economic growth, and tackling criminal elements and economic saboteurs.

“We will identify gaps hindering our efforts and discuss strategies and tactics related to vessel registration, certificate issuance, arrest procedures, and vessel prosecution an many more.”