Earlier today, Tuesday 8 October 2024, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla delivered a paper titled “PRESERVING THE UNDERWATER — THE SECURE & SUSTAINABLE USE OF THE UNDERWATER”. In his speech, the CNS highlighted the African Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS) which recognises that the underwater holds enormous resources crucial for advancing Africa’s Blue Economy. He also stated that Nigeria’s maritime Area of Interest encompasses Nigeria’s internal waters, territorial sea, the Exclusive Economic Zone and the entire Gulf of Guinea. The area has enormous underwater resources and serves as a medium of Sea-Borne trade which accounts for over 85% of Nigeria’s trade volume while having varieties of aquatic species and a reservoir of non-living natural resources including over 36 billion barrels of crude oil and 182 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves.

Furthermore, the CNS stated that in line with the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, about 60% of the oceans are outside the National jurisdiction which implies shared responsibility for preserving and securing the underwater. The interconnectivity of the sea also compels collectivism in global strategies for enhanced maritime security to preserve underwater resources for safe and sustainable use. This is why AIMS sought to foster increased wealth creation from Africa’s seas by developing a thriving blue economy in an environmentally stable manner, while preserving underwater resources in the secured environment. Similarly the vision of the Economic community of West African states (ECOWAS) Integrated Maritime Strategy is a prosperous, safe and peaceful ECOWAS maritime domain that will allow preservation of underwater resources for environmentally sustainable development and national prosperity.

Lastly, the CNS had Bilateral discussions with the Chief of the Italian Navy, Admiral Enrico Credendino.