“For effective control of the sea, a nation’s navy must be capable of carrying out effective military, diplomatic and policing roles, both in war and in peace times”
For centuries, fortune, power and prestige of empires, kingdoms, and nations were intrinsically linked to seas, oceans, straits and bays. The domineering propensity of great empires, kingdoms and nations such as the Ottoman Empire, Roman Empire, Great Britain, Russia, United States, Portugal, Greece, Germany and Spain were aided by sea power.
Despite changing dynamics in military strategies, battles, geopolitics, commerce, technology as well as the constant and continuous shift in global power and ‘the shift of navy from wood and sail to steel and steam’ its relevance remains constant.
Naval historian and strategic thinker, and author of ‘The Influence of Sea Power Upon History,’ Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan, (1840-1914), believes that ‘national greatness is inextricably associated with the sea, with its commercial use in peace time and combat in war.’ Mahan’s dictum is that ‘whatever power rules the sea rules the world.’
The understanding of indispensability of sea power to national aspirations has made nations to continue to utilize their navies as a national institution and instrument of national power and reputation critical in peace and war times. In his inaugural address in October 2014, Indonesian President, Joko Widodo situated the place of sea power in his country’s quest for national reputation thus: “We have work to restore Indonesia as a maritime country. The oceans, the seas, the bays and the straits are the future of our civilization.”
To date, the functions of navies in various nation’s security architecture in the protection of national interest have remained the same – military, policing and diplomatic roles. The military roles include projection of force and balance of power, policing roles include coastal duties and nation building – securing the maritime domain and maintenance of law and order in the territorial waters of areas of responsibility and the diplomatic roles which is negotiation, manipulation and prestige. These roles which Ken Booth, a naval strategist identifies as trinity of naval roles (military, policing and diplomatic roles), have become a timeless model adopted by navies and incorporated into their doctrine.
Of all the three, diplomatic role is unique to the navies. Naval strategic thinkers such Mahan famous for terminologies such as ‘prestige’ , ‘flying the flag’, ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ power; as well as Ken Booth, author of Navies and Foreign Policy; Sir Julian Corbett, Robert Keohane, Sir James Cable, Cold War writer famous for his work, Gunpower Diplomacy; Edward Luthwak, author of The Political Use of Sea Power, JJ Widen, Sir Herbert Richmond and Admiral Sergey Gorshkov of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), who encapsulated his thoughts in his work, The Sea Power of the State, are all of the same thought about how nations utilize their navies in diplomacy.
In his work, Naval Diplomacy: A Theoretical Approach, JJ Widen states thus: “…warships and navies are described as symbols of national sovereignty and power, and for having not only a defence value, but also a symbolic, supportive and coercive value.”
British Admiral, Sir Herbert Richmond who amplified the role of naval power in the growth and staying power of British empire, is categorical on the “nonmilitary naval roles, such as humanitarian relief, non-combatants evacuation, and peace enforcement, which fit the broad continuum of naval diplomacy. Ken Booth “identifies seven key characteristics of warships as diplomatic instruments: versatility, controllability, mobility, projection ability, access potential, symbolism and endurance.” Booth is also known for categorization of basic tenets of naval diplomacy to include “naval power politics (standing demonstration of naval power and specific operational deployments)” and “naval influence politics (naval aid, operational visits, and specific goodwill visits.”
Gorshkov, who “associates maritime strength with national prestige”, captures the use of navy in operations other than war noting that: “Demonstrative actions by the navy in many cases have made it possible to achieve political ends without resorting to armed struggle…The navy has always been an instrument of the policy of states, an important aid to diplomacy in peacetime.”
It is therefore little wonder that world powers and their allies as well as other aspiring maritime powers (like Indonesia) have continued to utilize sea power in operations other than war.
Perhaps, it is the understanding of these timeless role of the navies as carriers of national aspirations and utilization of sea power in operations other than war, and the need to deliberately, proactively, consistently and continuously, that the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo has made naval diplomacy one of the cardinal priority of his administration through the demonstration of uncommon leadership and engagement with stakeholders at home and reaching out to other navies around the world.
Since his appointment as the 21st indigenous Chief of Naval Staff in January, 2021, Admiral Gambo has left no one in doubt about his commitment to fulfilling the core mandate of the Nigerian Navy in its military, policing and diplomatic roles. In implementing his vision which is “to leverage on all factors of national location, technology, training, teamwork and synergy to re-energize the Nigerian Navy and enhance it as a well-motivated and ready naval force in fulfillment of national security objectives,” the Chief of Naval Staff has shown a firm commitment to securing Nigeria’s maritime domain.
While focusing on this primary role of military duties and policing Nigeria’s territorial waters, Admiral Gambo has continued to ensure that the Nigerian Navy plays its diplomatic role through port calls, receiving and visiting other navies on the continent and around the world. In less than six months, he has played host to Ghana’s Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu for the Maritime Security Operations meeting between the Nigerian Navy and Ghana Navy; Inspector General, Senegalese Armed Forces, Major General Elhadji Daouda Niang; Executive Secretary, Gulf of Guinea Commission, Mrs Florenta Adenike Ukonga; Equatorial Guinea Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Francis Mangue; Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Hidayet Bayrakktar; and Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Abhay Thakur.
Within the same period, the Chief of Naval staff has also visited Ghana, France and Russia all in furtherance of the diplomatic role of the Nigerian Navy. In Russia, Admiral Gambo joined his Russian counterpart, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolia Yevmenov for the 2021 Russian Navy Day Celebration. In Ghana, he attended 2021 International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference as well as signing of bilateral cooperation agreement between the Nigerian and Ghanian navies. In Saint Nazaire, France, the Chief of Naval Staff took delivery of Nigerian Navy’s first ever purpose built new Offshore Survey Vessel, NNS LANA, as representative of Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd). NNS LANA is considered as a platform that will “play crucial role ensuring safe navigation, delivery of maritime security as well as enhance the safety of Nigeria’s maritime environment and also serve as critical component in the projection of naval power for enhanced maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.” In line with established tradition, the Chief of Naval Staff and Nigerian Ambassador to France, Dr Modupe Irele bid the vessel farewell on April 16, 2021 at the Port of Saint Nazaire.
The homeward voyage of the new acquisition also afforded Nigerian Navy a chance to leverage on the journey to enjoy port calls to Lisbon, Las Palmas, Banjul and Tema-Ghana. In his address to the Ship’s Company, Vice Admiral Gambo said: “the foremost desire of every littoral state is to have a fleet with the right mix of platforms to meet its operational objectives.” He emphasized that: “NNS LANA will serve as a force multiplier in Nigerian Navy’s ability to project naval power for enhanced maritime security in the nation’s maritime environment and the Gulf of Guinea.”
It is therefore clear that Vice Admiral Gambo’s strategic deployment of naval diplomacy using soft power signals his understanding of aggregated views of naval strategic thinkers on the role of navies in nations’ quest for national power and relevance of maritime power to national security and national interest.
