maritime

ADF STAFF As nations emerge from the pandemic, they are trying to boost economic growth wherever possible. One focus is the “blue economy,” made up of the businesses that rely on water to thrive. This sector, which includes energy,…

Vice Adm. Awwal Zubairu Gambo has served in the Nigerian Navy for more than 30 years. His career includes time working on naval strategy, intelligence, training and as a defense attache. In 2017, he was the security coordinator for the…

ADF STAFF  |  PHOTOS BY NIMASA As 2021 drew to a close, the once-perilous waters off Nigeria’s coast were showing signs of becoming uncharacteristically calm. In fact, the entire Gulf of Guinea region had shown a steady decrease in…

BY DR. KAMAL-DEEN ALI, GHANA NAVY (RET.) and DR. HUMPHREY ASAMOAH AGYEKUM Since independence, Ghana’s Navy has been the sole seagoing state institution with responsibility for securing the nation’s waters. Today, its mission has…

ADF STAFF Collectively, Africa’s coastal countries are responsible for more than 13 million square kilometers of maritime territory, a huge undertaking that is beyond the capacity of most countries. Enter unmanned vehicles. Countries are…

ADF STAFF The Ghana Special Boat Squadron (SBS) has graduated its first batch of operators who were 100% domestically trained. The eight new graduates completed the rigorous six-month course and were the only ones out of a class of 25 to…

ADF STAFF As a Ghanaian Air Force helicopter thundered overhead, members of the Ghana Navy Special Boat Squadron (SBS) rappelled down to the deck of a ship floating just offshore. With weapons drawn, they began searching the ship for…

ADF STAFF The Baba Ali, a Seychellois fishing vessel, was passing through the Seychelles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) when authorities intercepted it in May 2021. Through an operation coordinated by the Seychelles Air Force,…

ADF STAFF With piracy increasing in the waters off West Africa, Nigeria launched its Deep Blue Project, a multipronged approach to confronting crime in the Gulf of Guinea. The $195 million effort brings together a mix of ships,…

ADF STAFF Obangame Express 2022, the joint international exercise aimed at improving maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean, produced real-world results in mid-March. As 32 nations participated in this year’s…