By John Attah
Nigeria has recorded zero reported piracy incidents in its territorial waters for four consecutive years, the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has said.
Abbas attributed the achievement to sustained maritime patrols, improved maritime domain awareness and regional cooperation, while warning that the Nigerian Navy must not relax in the face of emerging threats.
The CNS spoke on Tuesday in Calabar while addressing the graduation ceremony of participants of Naval Warfare Course 10 at the Naval War College Nigeria.
He said piracy incidents across the wider Gulf of Guinea had also declined significantly, but stressed that the gains must be consolidated.
His words: “Encouragingly, Nigeria has maintained zero reported piracy incidents in our waters for four consecutive years, while incidents across the wider Gulf of Guinea have declined significantly.
“These gains must be sustained through persistent maritime domain awareness, credible presence at sea, regional cooperation and timely response.”
Abbas said maritime security remained critical to Nigeria’s economic stability, citing the country’s offshore assets, ports, shipping lanes and energy infrastructure.
He said the Navy was therefore intensifying operations against crude oil theft, illegal mining and other forms of economic sabotage in the maritime domain.
The CNS disclosed that Nigeria’s crude oil production had risen to about 1.56 million barrels per day as of June 2026, stressing that protecting the nation’s maritime space was essential to sustaining the growth.
He charged the newly graduated officers to deploy emerging technologies and innovative operational strategies in tackling contemporary security challenges.
According to him, the current security environment requires commanders capable of integrating technology, intelligence and operations across maritime, land and cyber domains.
He cited the course research project, “Adopting Emerging Technology for Operational Effectiveness in the Nigerian Navy: The Way Forward for Naval Engineering,” as evidence of the increasing importance of innovation to naval operations.
The CNS also noted that naval personnel were increasingly deployed alongside sister services in land-based operations against terrorism and insurgency, stressing the importance of joint operations among the armed forces.
With the country approaching another election cycle, Abbas urged the officers to remain apolitical and professional.
“Your decisions must remain grounded in the Constitution, the law, professional ethics and respect for human dignity,” he said.
Earlier, the Commandant of the Naval War College Nigeria, Rear Admiral Muhammed Muye, said the course was designed to prepare senior officers for strategic leadership through training in operational art, defence management and simulation exercises.
Muye commended the 34 participants drawn from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Liberia for their discipline and professionalism.
