U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Spokesperson Capt. Clay Doss provided the following readout:
Today, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Adm. Stuart Munsch met with the Chief of Naval Staff of Nigeria Navy Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla Sept. 20 in Newport, Rhode Island, at the International Seapower Symposium.
The two leaders discussed maritime security trends in Africa, deepening navy interoperability in the Gulf of Guinea, and the close U.S.-Nigeria navy relationship. Munsch thanked Ogalla for hosting exercise Obangame Express - the largest multinational maritime exercise in Western and Central Africa - in Lagos, Nigeria in January, 2023 and for supporting the inaugural NAVAF-hosted African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS) in Cabo Verde in March 2023.
Jointly hosted by the Chief of Naval Operations and the United States Naval War College, the International Seapower Symposium is a biennial conference that provides a forum for dialogue between international navies, coast guards, and our Marine Corps partners to bolster maritime security by providing an opportunity for international heads of navies and coast guards to collaborate, develop trust, and further navy-to-navy training.
For more than 80 years, NAVEUR-NAVAF has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the EUCOM and AFRICOM areas of responsibility.