By John Ikani
USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, the first ship permanently assigned to Africa, arrived in Nigeria’s commercial capital city of Lagos on Saturday as part of the U.S. government’s support to combat piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
US Consul General, Claire Pierangelo said the ship would be permanently assigned to Africa as a sign of the U.S government’s mission to fight piracy in the Gulf.
What the Consul General said:
“Ship visits like this one clearly demonstrate the U.S.’s continued dedication to our partners in the Gulf of Guinea as they strive for security of their resources, their economy, and their people.
“We’re here to train and work with the Nigerian Navy on anti-piracy, tactics, techniques and procedures”.
What you should know
West Africa loses about 800,000 tons of fish a year, worth almost $2 billion in gross revenue, to illegal activities by both foreign and domestic vessels, Pierangelo said. This removes vast seafood protein from the region.
Nigerian waters are at the center of the Gulf of Guinea, a vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean stretching from Senegal to Angola that’s the most dangerous part of the world for sailors, accounting for almost all kidnappings at sea in recent years.
The Covid-19 outbreak and restrictions led to a surge in piracy levels, though that slowed this year and is expected to ease further as economies pick up.
