WESTERN NAVAL COMMAND: Nigeria Welcomes Her Majesty Ship TRENT As Both Countries Strengthen Ties For bilateral Relationship

 

The Nigerian Navy (NN) and its United Kingdom’s counterpart on Monday meet to strengthened its partnership.

This partnership was strengthened following a courtesy visit call of the British Deputy Head of Mission to Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, Defence Attache’ and the Commanding Officer, Her Majesty Ship TRENT, Commander Thomas Knott.

Speaking with Newsmen, the British Deputy Head of Mission to Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, stated that it was a privileged to have Her Majesty Ship TRENT here in Nigeria.

“It been a little while since we had the British warship into Lagos Port, though between that time and this, we’ve had quite an intensive engagements in our trainings space and we are pleased to have that”

According to Llewellyn-Jones “We are particularly pleased to have Her Majesty Ship TRENT with us. I think it represents a step change not just in our intention but ambition to engage not just with the Western Navy Command but with the Nigerian Military Forces as a whole, in particular to try and secure our collective and shared objective not least in the anti piracy space and I think that is a really important shared economic and commercial interest in so doing”

“But whist here in the Lagos Port, Her Majesty Ship TRENT would also be carrying out series of other activities which we greatly appreciate at least promote trade and economic development, and indeed to host some of the wider Enforcement Community and their shared contact here in Lagos, in cooperations trying to tackle illegal wide life trade as well”

“So the whole series of related and quite varied objectives is what Her Majesty Ship TRENT is trying to take forward and we are very pleased to support them and very grateful indeed to you and to your Team and to all of those who have been corporative to support them on their arrival and stay here”

“I’m sure in the course of today and the next few days we can discuss not just this engagements, but a kind of future engagements and ambitions that you have and we will be grateful to dovetail with that”

Also speaking, the Commanding Officer, Her Majesty Ship TRENT, Commander Thomas Knott, was overwhelmed that the Western Naval Command formally welcome Her Majesty Ship TRENT to Lagos, and that it will be an intensive week of engagement, after which they’ll be joining along with the Nigerian Navy and other partners in an exercise of the coast of Nigeria.

“Her Majesty Ship TRENT will cement our defence relationship, show how strong it is and but also the ambitions we have to take it to another yet level to a higher levels in terms of corporations trainings, and understanding of each other”

“UK as a core member of the common wealth is very keen to see corporation amongst common wealth nations. Nigeria, not just a common wealth nation, but one of our strongest allies in West Africa, is key to that vision. So, part of the cooperations we have is to try and understand how to build on that, both in our defence links and also our trade and wider economic link as well. So common wealth is a key of our vision of how Nigeria and the UK should corporate together” Knott added.

Speaking on the collaboration between the Navies, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral, Jason Gbasa, the visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

“The Nigerian Navy has been receiving several ships of this kind from international countries. The visit of Her Majesty Ship TRENT to Nigeria is one of those things that the Nigerian has always desired to have Navies from other countries to visit us and participate in exercises together” he said.

“It has already been established that it’s been quite a while, since we received a team or delegation, particularly the Naval Warship to our waters. That does not mean that we have not been having engagements on the Defence area across the three Services. We have been engaging in areas of training where our personnels are attending courses in your country. We’ve been engaging in areas of training where some of your personnel have been involved in our trainings, particularly at the GMSTC.

“I am aware of engagements in the areas of acquisition of platforms in our efforts to recapitalize our fleets”

“Going forward, we intend to have a joint exercise together in the immediate that will involve the passage exercise involving our ships and our air assets and Her Majesty Ship TRENT. Then there is still the exercise African Grand Nemo, that is scheduled which your ship will participate, that will be outside of Western Naval Command area, but we will participate also” he added.

Gbassa stated further that the joint exercises, would contribute towards addressing the criminalities that are of a concern within the gulf of Guinea.

“On the bilateral note, we believe your visit will be a means to cement the relations between both countries”

So on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff, the officers and men of the Nigerian Navy, I say welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay. We look forward to you, coming back some other time even after our final exercises within this period.

He added that the Gulf of Guinea is an area of interest for the Nigerian Navy.