On Friday, 9 October 2026, the Maritime Component Commander (MCC), Joint Task Force South-South, Operation DELTA SAFE (JTF SS OPDS), Commodore Benjamin Ochai Onalo delivered a lecture titled “Contemporary Roles of the Navy in Joint Operations: Nigerian Navy (NN) in Perspective” to participants of Command Level Officers’ Course 9 of the Naval War College Nigeria (NWCN). The lecture held at the NWCN Auditorium was aimed at discussing the contemporary roles of the Maritime Component in JTF SS OPDS with the course participants.
During the lecture, Commodore BO Onalo provided a detailed overview of the history of joint operations in Niger Delta region and identified the protection of oil and gas infrastructure, anti-crude oil theft operations, clearance of militants/pirates/sea-robbers camps, intelligence gathering, and non-kinetic conflict resolution as key responsibilities of JTF SS OPDS. Addressing the factors militating against the Maritime Component in fulfilling its mandate within JTF SS OPDS, the MCC highlighted key strategies for enhancing maritime operational effectiveness, including increased investment in locally built gunboats, harmonisation of joint operations, provision of adequate platform support facilities, and improved maritime domain awareness capabilities.
In his remarks, the Commandant NWCN, Rear Admiral MA Muye, expressed appreciation to the MCC JTF SS OPDS for delivering the lecture despite his busy schedule. He described the lecture as insightful and urged the course participants to note the lessons from the lecture for future applications.
