Determined to strengthen ties and reinforce maritime security within the Gulf of Guinea (GoG), the Director, French Directorate for Cooperation in Security and Defence, Lieutenant General Regis Colcombet has paid a courtesy visit on the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit on Wednesday, 5th March, 2025, seeks to cement the cordial relationship between France-Nigeria with a view to improving security partnership; enhancing maritime exercises, training, hydrography and language skills.
According to Lt Gen Regis, he was in Nigeria to improve the partnership between both nations in the area of security and defence.
He extended the warmest regards of the French Chief of Naval Staff, who attended the Heads of Navies and Coast Guards of Gulf of Guinea countries hosted by Nigeria in November 2024.
In his response, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral IK Ogalla thanked Lt Gen Regis for making out time to visit Naval Headquarters.
Recalling France-Nigeria relations, which he said, have been smooth for many years, expresses gratitude to the French Navy for their contributions in the successful organisation of regional maritime exercises in the Gulf of Guinea such as Exercise GRAND AFRICAN NEMO and Exercise CROCODILE LIFT.
Highlighting its modest achievements, the CNS said that since 2022, the Nigerian Navy had successfully eliminated piracy threats in Nigerian waters hence the urgent task within the Gulf of Guinea region was to increase the operational capabilities of other states in the region, just as the NN is poised to do her best, to make the assistance of the French Navy mutually beneficial.
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