United States Coast Guard trains Nigerian Navy on maritime law enforcement

A team of six U.S. Coast Guard instructors began a 4-week U.S. Coast Guard Boarding Officer training for 24 Nigerian Navy officers in Lagos.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, “this capacity building program seeks to strengthen maritime law enforcement capabilities in Nigeria’s territorial waters, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting more challenging scenarios and tactics in the use of force, evidence processing, and arrest procedures.”

The training is part of the United States efforts to strengthen partnership with coastal African nations.

Few weeks ago, U.S. Navy’s USS Hershel “Woody” Williams arrived Nigeria’s commercial capital city of Lagos for maritime training in the Gulf of Guinea, and to strengthening partnership with coastal African nations.

The visiting vessel USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB-4) (formerly USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams (T-ESB-4)) is a US Navy Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base.

“We’re here to train and work with the Nigerian Navy on anti-piracy, tactics, techniques and procedures,” Hershel “Woody” Williams Captain Chad Graham said.

Woody is returning to West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea after participating in the Obangame Express 2021 exercises in March which 32-nations participated.