UK Warship Arrives Nigeria To Support Maritime Security

UK Royal Navy warship, HMS Trent has arrived in Lagos to assist the country in the fight against piracy and illicit trafficking in the sub-region.

A statement by the British High Commission said, the ship’s visit, being its second to the country, would help deliver capacity training and support maritime security in the region.

UK Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Jonny Baxter said the deployment demonstrates how a truly Global Britain is stepping up on the world stage to tackle shared international security challenges.

Also, HMS Trent’s Commanding Officer, Commander Tim Langford, said it was an honour for HMS TRENT to return to Nigeria and expressed excitement at working with partner nations as they strive long term solutions to maritime insecurity challenges.

Langford said the Royal Navy has a long history of engagement within the region and an enduring partnership with the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

He said his team was looking forward to the opportunity to work with their Nigerian counterparts and build on the relationships established when we visited Lagos in 2021.

HMS Trent’s mission amongst other things is to ensure they can play an effective role in bringing stability to wider West Africa and departed Gibraltar carrying an expert boarding team of UK Royal Marines and a Puma surveillance drone.

With around £6 billion of UK trade passing through the region, part of Trent’s role is to support stability across the Gulf of Guinea through training, fostering ties and sharing knowledge, whilst conducting patrols to increase security.