By Hyacinth Nwafor
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command (CNC), Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim, has reiterated the importance of joint warfare and strategic synergy among Nigeria’s Armed Forces to safeguard the nation’s territorial integrity.
Rear Admiral Ibrahim made these remarks while hosting the Commandant of the Airforce War College Nigeria (AFWCN), Air Vice Marshal GA Mbaka, and participants of the college’s “Operational Visit 1” at the Headquarters Central Naval Command in Yenagoa.
Welcoming the delegation, Rear Admiral Ibrahim congratulated the Commandant on the college’s ability to attract participants from across the continent. He described the diverse enrollment as a “great milestone” that would significantly broaden the strategic thinking of the participants.
The FOC noted that the visit aligns with the Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas’ Strategic Guidance and Leadership Ethos, emphasizing that modern security challenges require a unified approach.
”The Nigerian Constitution mandates the Armed Forces to defend our territorial integrity, specifically through joint warfare,” Rear Admiral Ibrahim stated. “With global unrest on the rise, participants must take this course seriously, as it exposes them to the strategic level of thinking required for national defense.”
In his response, Air Vice Marshal GA Mbaka expressed his delight in leading the AFWCN team to the Command. He commended the Central Naval Command for its recent operational successes, specifically highlighting the institutionalization of a new Emergency Plan and the high volume of arrests involving oil thieves and illegal vessels.
”I want to congratulate the CNC on its multiple achievements,” AVM Mbaka said, thanking the FOC for the “resourceful brief and warm reception.”
The visit featured a comprehensive briefing on the operations of the Central Naval Command followed by a robust interactive session between the naval officers and the visiting scholars.
Concluding the visit, the AFWCN team assured the FOC that a copy of the strategic paper developed from the insights gained during the visit would be shared with the CNC to further enhance operational synergy.