With piracy on the decline but maritime crime evolving into more dangerous forms, navies from across Africa, Europe, and the Americas recently converged on Lagos for the 14th edition of Exercise OBANGAME EXPRESS.

This year, the focus was squarely on combating the trafficking of small arms, light weapons, and narcotics--emerging threats that continue to undermine regional security. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that for the Nigerian Navy, the exercise represents a strategic effort to strengthen its maritime interdiction capabilities and uphold its role as a key guardian of the Gulf of Guinea

With piracy on the decline, especially on Nigerian waters, but new threats proliferating across the Gulf of Guinea, the Nigerian Navy (NN) has once again stepped up to the challenge--this time, sharpening its focus on combating the surging menace of small arms trafficking and narcotics smuggling.

Through the multinational maritime security exercise, OBANGAME EXPRESS 2025, the NN and other partner navies from Africa, Europe, and the Americas are synergising to tackle the mutating threats that continue to destabilise the region's waters.

For the NN, this annual gathering of maritime forces--now in its 14th iteration--is more than a drill. It is a strategic declaration of intent. The 2025 edition has placed Anti-Small Arms Smuggling and Narcotics Operations at the core of its mission, reflecting the evolving security architecture of the Gulf of Guinea.

According to acting Fleet Commander and Officer in Tactical Command (OTC), Captain L.D. Deyin, the purpose of the exercise was not merely a training event but a strategic imperative to tackle mutating threats such as small arms smuggling, human trafficking, and drug trafficking, as well as other related maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.

Exercise OBANGAME EXPRESS 2025, which was flagged off on May 9 and to end on May 13 with participating units operating 20 to 30 nautical miles South-west of Lagos, was segmented into three sectors with each sector featuring two Nigerian ships and one foreign ship conducting maritime interdiction operations--testing not only tactics, techniques and procedures, but also joint resolve against transnational crimes.

Small arms proliferation is among the most pressing of these. According to a 2022 report by SBM Intelligence, there are an estimated 6.1 million illicit small arms in circulation in Nigeria, compared to just 586,600 in the hands of authorised security forces. This dangerous imbalance has fuelled banditry, insurgency, and cross-border criminality, with weapons often trafficked by sea before being smuggled inland. The impact is dire, contributing to the deaths of over 10,000 Nigerians annually through gun-related violence.

Also, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also reported that West Africa has become a growing corridor for cocaine trafficking, with Nigeria emerging as a major transit point. Seizures by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) hit over 600 tonnes of illicit drugs in 2023 alone, further underscoring the urgency of the Navy's involvement in counter-narcotics maritime operations.

Undoubtedly, the Nigerian Navy has a proud history of leading regional maritime security efforts, and this year was not different as the exercise evolved into a platform not just for drills, but for policy alignment, intelligence synchronisation, and interagency cohesion.

Corroborating at the flag off, the Chief of Navy Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, said that was why the 2025 EXERCISE OBANGAME EXPRESS will feature Anti-Small Arms Smuggling and Narcotics Operations, which are critical components in their ongoing effort to secure the maritime domain.

Represented by Rear Admiral Michael Oamen, Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, the CNS said: "Over the years, this exercise has played a pivotal role in enhancing Nigeria's maritime security architecture and regional stability. It has grown significantly since its inception in 2010, now including credible navies from Africa, Europe, and the Americas."

He further noted that Nigeria is deploying six warships, two helicopters, and maritime domain awareness capability assets, including the Special Boat Services (SBS) as these high-value assets are tasked with securing Nigeria's blue economy--a strategic initiative to harness the nation's maritime resources for sustainable growth.

He further acknowledged Nigeria's recent milestone in being delisted by the International Maritime Bureau from the global piracy-prone nations list in March 2022, citing this as a testament to Nigeria's strengthened naval strategy and international partnerships.

Sponsored by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), OBANGAME EXPRESS aims to deepen regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, and information-sharing practices among the Gulf of Guinea nations, as it reflects a shared ambition to develop African-led responses to transnational threats while promoting global maritime stability.

Each year, the exercise is also an opportunity to rehearse real-world scenarios--from small arms interceptions to illegal vessel tracking--under coordinated command structures as Maritime Operations Centres (MOCs) across the region are challenged to identify and respond to threats, while individual navies are tested on their capacity to police their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and prosecute illegal actors.

In Lagos, the flag-off ceremony was held aboard Nigerian Navy Ship KADA with Captain Andrew Zidon as Commanding Officer of the vessel. According to the OTC, the exercise area had been carefully mapped to simulate high-risk maritime corridors, with operational tasks including narcotics interdiction, tactical boarding, ship-handling drills, and joint manoeuvres with focus on maritime domain awareness, including Law of the Sea practices.

Also speaking, Lieutenant Benjamin Ralen, U.S. Maritime Program Officer for Nigeria, while expressing enthusiasm for the growing strength of multilateral security cooperation, said with over 25 countries participating this year, OBANGAME EXPRESS has become a pillar of trust-building and joint capability development in maritime security.

For Exercise OBANGAME EXPRESS 2025, its relevance cannot be overstated. With millions of illicit small arms in circulation and transnational drug cartels leveraging West African waters, coordinated maritime action is no longer optional--it is critical.

Thus, through its continued leadership and commitment, the Nigerian Navy seek not only to protects its shores but in synergy with regional partners, reinforces regional stability and by embedding anti-smuggling and counter-narcotics efforts into its tactical operations, Nigeria is affirming its role as a stabilising force in the Gulf of Guinea--and by extension, the Atlantic Ocean.

In the words of its commanding officers and international partners, this is not just a drill. It is a joint stand against criminality at sea--and a signal to all threat actors that the Gulf is no longer a safe haven for illicit trade.