The newly appointed United States Defence Attache to Nigeria, Colonel Tom Brooks, has paid a courtesy visit to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Apapa, Rear Admiral M.G. Oamen, with a view to strengthening existing military cooperation between both countries.
While making his remarks on Friday, March 14, 2025, Colonel Brooks explained that his visit was aimed at reinforcing the ongoing military cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, particularly in the areas of combined exercises and training.
He emphasized that the visit would help him assess where US assistance is needed and the types of support that would be most beneficial.
In his response, Rear Admiral Oamen commended Colonel Brooks for the visit and encouraged him to identify areas where US support could enhance the Nigerian Navy’s (NN) training and capacity-building efforts.
He observed that the Nigerian Navy is the largest in the Gulf of Guinea and is committed to ensuring security in the maritime environment to foster business prosperity.
He also pointed out that the NN’s endeavours have significantly improved safety in Nigerian waters, leading to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) removing Nigeria from its piracy-prone area list.
The visit afforded Colonel Brooks to have a guide tour of the Western Naval Command’s Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) Center and the RMAC Training School.
Senior officers present included Rear Admiral Sulaiman Dantsoho Ibrahim (Chief Staff Officer, West), Commodore Abdulrahman Mohammed (Command Operations Officer West), and Captain Tumi Adebola Ogunkoya (Command Technical Officer West).
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