EU, Portugal Donate Patrol Boats, Crime Investigation Equipment to Nigerian Navy

EU, Portugal Donate Patrol Boats, Crime Investigation Equipment to Nigerian Navy Chiemelie Ezeobi The European Union (EU) and the Government of Portugal have strengthened their maritime security partnership with the Nigerian Navy through the donation of two patrol boats and specialised maritime crime investigation equipment to boost efforts against piracy, crude oil theft and other transnational crimes in the Gulf of Guinea. The assets were handed over at the Joint Maritime Security Training Centre, Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos, under the European Union’s €15 million maritime security programme being implemented by the Government of Portugal across the ECOWAS region. The initiative is designed to enhance operational readiness, institutional capacity and regional cooperation among West African maritime forces. It also supports capacity building, specialised training and operational assistance aimed at improving maritime domain awareness, law enforcement, search-and-rescue operations and maritime criminal investigations. Speaking at the ceremony, representatives of the European Union and Portugal reaffirmed their commitment to supporting maritime stability in the Gulf of Guinea, describing the region as critical to West Africa’s economic development as well as global trade and international shipping. They noted that Portugal has continued to partner regional maritime forces through joint exercises and professional exchanges, helping to improve interoperability and collective responses to evolving maritime threats among the 12 participating ECOWAS member states. The European Union also stressed that the programme extends beyond the provision of equipment, noting that sustainable maritime security depends on strengthening the human and institutional capacities needed to effectively utilise modern security assets. It added that continuous training and technical support remain essential to ensuring long-term impact. Representing the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, said sustained naval operations, enhanced surveillance capabilities and intelligence-driven enforcement had contributed to Nigeria’s removal from the International Maritime Bureau’s list of piracy-prone countries in 2021. He said the enduring partnership between the Nigerian Navy, the European Union and Portugal continued to strengthen maritime patrol operations and complemented ongoing ECOWAS initiatives to secure regional waters. Mustapha disclosed that although the Nigerian Navy already operates more than 300 rigid-hulled inflatable boats, the newly donated Spanish-built patrol boats would further enhance the service’s rapid-response capability, operational flexibility and maritime surveillance. He added that the specialised maritime crime investigation equipment would improve evidence gathering, criminal investigations and information sharing among maritime security agencies, thereby strengthening efforts to combat maritime crime. Among those present at the ceremony were the representative of the Flag Officer Commanding, Special Operations Command, Commodore M.S. Olukoya; Liaison Administrator at Abuja with the Support to West Africa Integrated Maritime Security (SWAIMS), Captain Paulo Cameco; SWAIMS Project Coordinator, Captain Neves Rodrigues; and European Union Ambassador, Gautier Mignot. Others include the Portuguese Ambassador, Paulo Santos; the Belgian Ambassador; Deputy Commandant, Joint Maritime Security Training Centre, Commander A.S. Manga; SWAIMS Project Training Officer, Commander Manuel des Santos; and the manufacturer of the boats, Mr. Jorge Arzuti.