Kofi Ampeah Woode
The Ghana Navy (GN), in collaboration with the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have inaugurated a new state-of-the-art Ship-in-a-Box training facility, for training maritime law enforcement personnel in Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS), to ensure the safety and security of maritime operations in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
The innovative model of a ship, which is the second of its kind in the West African sub-region, was commissioned on Thursday 15 August 2024, at the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Nutekpor, in the Volta Region of Ghana, with Ghana’s Minister for Defence, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bimbilla – Dominic Bingab Aduna Nitiwul, as the Chief Guest, and the Danish Foreign Affairs Minister – Mr Lars Lokke Rusmussen as Special Guest.
The construction which forms part of Denmark’s Maritime Security Programme in the GoG, was funded by Denmark, through the UNODC, in the fight against maritime security challenges in the West African Gulf.
Minister DBA Nitiwul said in his address that the ship, meticulously designed to replicate conditions and challenges of real boarding operations, is more than just a training simulator, but also a symbol of commitment to excellence, and dedication to protecting the GoG interests, and would provide a realistic environment for training, to allow instructors to simulate various types of ships, enabling naval forces to train for a diverse array of missions.
He continued to say that the facility will not only serve GN, but also extend its benefits to allied and partner nations, ensuring greater cooperation and interoperability in maritime security, and that the skills honed at NAVTRAC would protect lives, secure the GoG, and uphold the principles of freedom of navigation at sea.
The Defence Minister said the commissioning of the Ship-in-a-Box is a landmark moment, which underscores collective efforts to stay ahead of conventional and emerging maritime security threats, and to ensure that naval forces are always a step ahead, and ready to act with professionalism at sea.
He further stated that GN has evolved into one of the most credible maritime forces in the West Africa sub-region, defending the territorial integrity of Ghana’s maritime space, which remains key to socio-economic activities in the maritime environment, and keeps increasing, especially commercial shipping and the oil and gas sector activities.
“The threats we face today, from piracy, drug trafficking, smuggling, illegal fishing and maritime terrorism among others, demand that we equip our personnel with the best possible training, preparing them for every conceivable scenario they might encounter at sea”, Mr Nitiwul said.
In a welcome address, the Commander, GN – Rear Admiral (R/Adm) Issah Adam Yakubu said, following incessant attacks by pirates in the GoG on commercial shipping – which is the main stay of the Danish economy – there were discussions on how to bolster the capability of Navies and Coast Guards in the region.
Subsequently, Admiral Yakubu continued, the Danish government started the Maritime Security Programme, to support the capacity building efforts of coastal states, an initiative of which GN has been a beneficiary, with the mentoring and equipping of its Special Boat Squadron (SBS) – which is now one of the finest in Africa.
The conceptualization of the Ship-in-a-Box project, is to serve as an economic alternative for building capacity in maritime training ashore, considering the high cost of such training at sea, owing to high cost of fuel, man-hours and wear and tear of ships involved, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) said.
He said the construction of the vessel is another step in realising the vision of the NAVTRAC, towards becoming a world class Centre of Excellence for professional maritime training at the naval command, with the best possible tools and skills to effectively carry out their missions.
GN’s collaboration with the Government of Denmark, has yielded the capacity development of its SBS, accommodation and training facilities at Nutekpor, the construction of the Ship-in-a-Box, and the installation of a full Mission Bridge Simulator – currently about 80% towards completion.
Dignitaries present at the inauguration included the Danish Ambassador to Ghana – Mr Tom Norring; Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics, GAF – R/Adm Samuel Agyenim-Boateng; General Officer Commanding, Southern Command, Ghana Army – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Samuel Yeboah Yaw Asare; Commander, Army Training Command – Brig Gen Stephen Woseadzikpo Kweku Parbey; Flag Officer Commanding, NAVTRAC – Commodore Solomon Asiedu-Larbi; Base Commander, Air Force Base, Accra – Air Commodore Eric Agyen-Frempon.
Others were the Chief Director, Ghana’s Ministry for Defence – Dr Evans Dzikum; District Chief Executive, South Tongu; Heads of other Security Services in Volta Region, Defence Attachés, Representatives from UNODC, Traditional Rulers, Retired Naval Officers, Senior Officers, Officers, GN’s Chief Coxswain, Ratings and many others.
Credit: GN PR
