Lack of platforms hinders navy’s peace support operations’

By EVELYN USMAN

There are  indications that the Nigerian Navy is handicapped  in the discharge of  peace support operations (PSO) in Africa in particular and other parts of the globe should the need arise, owing to lack of necessary platforms to perform this role.

The danger this portends if not addressed, is that the Nigerian Navy might not measure up to standard with its counterparts worldwide to participate actively in Peace Support Operation in future.

It was against this backdrop that he NN, organized a two-day peace keeping operations training seminar with the theme: ‘NN Transformation and Peace Support Operations: Challenges and Prospects’, at the Nigerian Navy Ship QUORRA, Apapa, Lagos.

Declaring the two-day seminar open, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Sa’ad Ibrahim, explained that the key objective of the seminar was to examine the modalities for the maritime component of Nigerian contingent in peace support operations and Nigerian Navy’s pledge to ECOWAS Standby Forces(ESF) in line with the navy transformation plan.

He noted that across the globe, navies were being charged with the peace support operations roles, with the presence of  some navies of the world already in the nation’s region performing this roles.

But the CNS, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Admiral James Oladimeji,  lamented that the Nigerian Navy was restricted from participating in this role owing to the current state of its fleet, expressing hope, however,  that it would soon  be a thing of the past, following the current recapitalization effort and the present administration’s knowledge of the situation.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral E.O Ogbor, stated that  the current scale and complexity of peace support operations required that the navy stood and identified the way forward. “ This could be achieved by drawing from ongoing effort by our navy to reposition in line with the the service 2011-2020  transformation plan.”