Nigeria’s waters are now officially free from pirates.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has disclosed that Nigeria has recorded zero reported piracy incidents in its territorial waters for about four consecutive years – a historic feat that has restored confidence in the nation’s blue economy.
Vice Admiral Abbas made the revelation on Tuesday in Calabar while speaking at the *graduation ceremony of participants of Naval Warfare Course 10 at the Naval War College Nigeria*.
The Naval Chief said the achievement reflected improved maritime security and the success of intelligence-led operations by the Nigerian Navy.
> “Encouragingly, Nigeria has maintained zero reported piracy incidents in our waters for four consecutive years, while incidents across the wider Gulf of Guinea have declined significantly. These gains must be sustained through persistent maritime domain awareness, credible presence at sea, regional cooperation and timely response,” Abbas declared.
He noted that maritime security remained inseparable from Nigeria’s economic security, given the importance of the country’s offshore resources, ports, shipping routes and energy infrastructure.
The announcement marks a major turnaround for Nigeria, which was delisted from the International Maritime Bureau’s list of piracy-prone countries on *March 3, 2022*.
Abbas said the Navy was now intensifying operations against crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage capable of undermining national revenue.
Under his flagship operation *DELTA SENTINEL (successor to DELTA SANITY I & II)*, the Navy has deactivated over 800 illegal refining sites, destroyed over 5,000 storage facilities, and arrested hundreds of suspects and vessels.
He added that sustained security has contributed to a rise in crude oil production to about *1.56 million barrels per day in June 2026* – the highest in the last decade.
The CNS, who assumed office on October 30, 2025 as Nigeria’s 25th Chief of Naval Staff, said his vision is to build a modern, agile and professional naval force, with the soon-to-take-off *Gulf of Guinea Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF)* to be led by a Nigerian officer.
He urged graduands of the War College to deploy intelligence, technology and regional cooperation to ensure Nigeria never returns to the era when it was the world’s piracy hotspot.