Commissioning Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Gbenga Daniel; Minister of State for Defense, Dr. Bello Matawalle; Vice President, Kashim Shettima; Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, during the Commissioning of three ships and two helicopters by the Vice President, in commemoration of the 68th anniversary of the Nigerian Navy, at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos, yesterday.
Noting that the conference, with the theme “Promoting the Blue Economy in Africa through International Cooperation on Maritime Security,” was apt as it encapsulated the major objective of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, the Vision of Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050, and a key target of Africa’s Agenda 2063, he said it also offered the best platform for relevant stakeholders to articulate the mechanism for collaborative action against maritime crimes in Africa.
He said, “These threats have become transnational, beyond the scope and capability of one nation to deal with. The situation calls for greater international collaboration.
He commended the Chief of Naval Staff and the entire officers and men for organizing such a momentous event. “As a government, we will continue to acknowledge and show appreciation to all our military officers, both serving and retired, so that their efforts and sacrifices will not be forgotten. This appreciative attitude on our part is particularly imperative at this period when our nation is faced with the challenges of terrorism and insurgency”.