The Nigerian Navy, working alongside fellow security agencies, conducted a search-and-rescue training in Rivers on Thursday, designed to enhance the capabilities of personnel in effectively managing waterways.
Participating alongside the Nigerian Navy were sister security agencies such as the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Police Force, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Additional participants in the exercise included the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Navy stated that the exercise aimed to bolster the response capabilities of pertinent agencies, ensuring their ability to promptly address emergencies arising within the state’s waterways.
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Ngozi Odu, hailed the idea of collaboration among the agencies as a measure to address emergencies on the state’s waterways.
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According to Fubara, collaboration among the security agencies is necessary to enhance the effective management of the waterways system, especially in times of emergencies.
The governor said the exercise would allow them to identify areas for improvement in their procedures and equipment, enabling them to make necessary adjustments before actual emergencies occur.
‘This is wonderful because the essence of simulation is to know what we can do and how we can do it best. This means it is achievable and you have demonstrated beyond any doubt that you can do it and do it very well,’ Fubara said.
Commander Desmond Igbo, representing the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, highlighted that the event’s core objective was to enhance preparedness, enabling both the Nigerian Navy and other key maritime agencies to effectively conduct emergency search and rescue operations.
This, he added, would equip the agencies with the requisite expertise to efficiently conduct search and rescue operations within maritime settings.