Ghana Navy outlines 'Agenda 2024' plan

The Ghana Navy has developed a revised strategic plan dubbed: " Agenda 2024" to maintain a modern robust Force capable of defending the country against sea-borne threats.

The plan includes achieving total surveillance coverage through increased monitoring at Maritime Operations Centres, modernising the Navy by leveraging technology for its operations, enhancing the welfare of sailors, and collaboration with stakeholders and international partners.

Real Admiral Issah Adams Yakubu, the Chief of Navy Staff, announced this on Thursday at the opening ceremony of a two-day Chief of the Naval Staff's annual conference in Accra.

The conference is on the theme: "Adopting Resourceful and Innovative Measures to Transform the Ghana Navy into a Modern and Robust Naval Force."

The objective is to brainstorm to find solutions to the challenges in the maritime sector and define the way forward to achieve the agenda.

Real Admiral Yakubu said the Navy was working assiduously to enhance maritime air patrols through collaboration with the Ghana Air Force and increased presence at sea through the deployment of new ships equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment.

"We will take account of our country's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats including its geography, political stability to determine the way forward in modernizing our fleet," he said.

The Chief of Navy Staff said there was the need to prioritise innovation by empowering personnel at all levels to bring forward new ideas and establishing a process to deliver design options through a full development cycle in a cost-effective way.

In leveraging technology for its operations, Real Admiral Yakubu said the Navy would equip the Special Boat Squadron and Diving Unit with modern equipment for training and operations and the use of satellite systems on ships for real-time data exchange.

On collaboration, he said the plan would encourage other services such as the Ghana Air Force and other maritime agencies as well as the regional and international partners to take a greater role in the sustainability of the strategy.

"We will launch operation secure waters in partnership with local and international partners to ensure secured and safe maritime domain in the country and the continent", he said.

Real Admiral Yakubu, said though there were many criminal activities in the Gulf of Guinea, piracy remained the most visible issue of insecurity in the region and called for concerted efforts to address the menace.

In 2020, the Gulf of Guinea accounted for 95 per cent of all kidnappings at sea with the actual and attempted attacks in the region increasing by 34 per cent from the 2019 figure of 59 to 79 in 2020, with 25 attacks so far, this year.

He said Nigeria had commenced an aggressive campaign in its waters with a $195 million Deep Blue project, which was likely to dislocate criminals to operate further offshore and invulnerable and less patrolled waters.

Real Admiral Yakubu stated that the threat posed by non-traditional security challenges should prompt a thorough re-examination of the strategies, tactics, and tools needed to keep the country's water safe.

Commodore Godwin Livinus Bessing, the Chief Staff Officer of Navy, said the conference would provide a platform for participants to pitch the vision of the Force and share ideas to facilitate the strategic trajectory of the Navy.

He urged the participants to participate fully in the discussions and come out with a workable solution to curb the threats of maritime security in the region.