The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Equatorial Guinea to Nigeria, Francisco Edu Ngua Mange, has called for deeper maritime security collaboration among countries in the Gulf of Guinea to safeguard regional waters and maritime trade.
The ambassador made the call during a courtesy visit to the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, at the Nigerian Navy Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
During the visit, Mange thanked the naval chief for granting him an audience at short notice and commended the Nigerian Navy for its leading role in combating maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea. He described the Nigerian Navy as a stabilising force in the region and emphasised the need for stronger cooperation among Gulf of Guinea nations to protect regional waterways, including those of Equatorial Guinea.
Responding, CNS Abbas welcomed the envoy and highlighted the Nigerian Navy’s operational successes in securing Nigeria’s maritime domain. According to him, militancy in the Niger Delta has been effectively contained through sustained naval operations carried out in synergy with other security agencies.
The naval chief also disclosed that no piracy incident has been recorded in Nigerian waters since 2022, though he noted that threats still persist in some parts of the wider Gulf of Guinea, making regional collaboration essential.
He further explained that the planned Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF), comprising six Gulf of Guinea countries including Nigeria, would enhance collective response to maritime threats.
The initiative, he said, would act on intelligence shared through operational coordination under the Yaoundé Architecture for Maritime Security.
Abbas added that the CMTF is expected to officially commence operations in June 2026 to strengthen efforts to secure regional waters and ensure the safety of maritime trade routes.
The CNS also informed the ambassador of the forthcoming Nigerian Navy 70th Anniversary Celebrations and invited Equatorial Guinea to participate in the planned International Fleet Review as part of the activities.
