HMS Trent, a warship from the UK Royal Navy, has arrived in Lagos to assist Nigeria in its efforts to combat maritime crimes.
The warship’s arrival on Sunday marks a significant development in enhancing Nigeria’s capabilities to address issues such as sea piracy and illegal trafficking.
HMS Trent’s deployment allows the Royal Navy to provide capacity training and maritime support, strengthening Nigeria’s maritime security efforts.
Tim Langford, the commanding officer of HMS Trent, highlighted the historical engagement of the Royal Navy in the region and the enduring partnership with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
He emphasized that this collaboration offers an opportunity for both navies to work together to identify solutions for maritime security challenges.
“The Royal Navy has a long history of engagement within the region and an enduring partnership with the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” Langford said.
“This is an opportunity for the Royal Navy and the Nigerian Navy to work together in order for us to identify possible solutions in the maritime environment and counter insecurity on the high sea.
“We are together to understand the lessons that all nations have identified individually and share the lessons with each other.”
Jonny Baxter, the UK deputy high commissioner in Lagos, stressed the importance of a secure maritime environment, which he believes will promote trade, investments, and prosperity between the two countries.
He described Nigeria as a crucial and valued defense partner for the UK in West Africa, expressing a shared commitment to addressing common security threats and improving maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Nigeria is an important and valued defence partner for the UK in West Africa,” Baxter said.
“Our two countries face many shared threats and we are keen to work with Nigeria to defeat these and to help improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.”
Notably, HMS Trent had previously visited Lagos in 2021 to conduct maritime security patrols and support partner navies in West Africa.
This comes a few months after China visited Nigeria with three warships in order to enhance maritime security in West Africa and strengthen bilateral relations between both countries.
