Nigerian Navy at 70: Tinubu Commissions 3 Warships, Launches Gulf of Guinea Maritime Task Force

President Bola Tinubu presided over the Nigerian Navy's 70th anniversary International Fleet Review in Lagos on June 1, commissioning three new warships — NNS Oloibiri, NNS Mambila, and NNS Gurara — and inaugurating a Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea. The multilateral maritime initiative brings together Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone to combat piracy, crude oil theft, and illegal fishing across West African waters. Tinubu praised the Navy for eradicating piracy from Nigerian territorial waters, noting that the Gulf of Guinea had been removed from the high-risk zone list maintained by global maritime insurers. The Fleet Review marked a significant milestone in Nigeria's bid to project maritime dominance in West Africa.