The eighth edition of Grand African Nemo (GANO 2025) has concluded in the Gulf of Guinea, marking a maturing capability among West and Central African navies to conduct complex, multi-agency maritime operations. Held from 10–17 November, the exercise mobilized the largest coalition of regional and international naval assets to date, reinforcing the security framework known as the Yaoundé Architecture.
While piracy incidents in the region have declined from their 2020 peaks, the focus of GANO 2025 shifted decisively toward “State Action at Sea”—a holistic approach to maritime governance that targets narcotics trafficking, illegal fishing (IUU), and environmental degradation alongside traditional security threats.
Operational Scale and the Yaoundé Architecture
Co-organized by the Interregional Coordination Centre (ICC) in Yaoundé and the French Navy, the exercise spanned the entire coastline from Senegal to Angola. It activated the full command structure of the Yaoundé Architecture, testing the interoperability of Maritime Operation Centres (MOCs) across five operational zones.
Participation included 19 African coastal nations and seven international partner navies—France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Mauritania, and Morocco. More than 55 surface units and 11 maritime patrol aircraft operated simultaneously across multiple time zones, linked by the YARIS information-sharing network. This digital backbone allowed land-based commanders to direct assets from different nations against simulated threats in real-time, a critical test of the region’s collective domain awareness.
The exercise also integrated non-military stakeholders, including the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), INTERPOL, and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA). Their involvement underscores the growing necessity of legal and forensic coordination in successful maritime prosecutions.
The French Connection and Amphibious Training
France remains the primary external enabler of the Yaoundé process. For GANO 2025, the French Navy deployed the FS Tonnerre, a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship (LHD), to serve as a command platform and training hub.
The Tonnerre hosted the SIREN programme, an embarked training course for 40 officers from the navies of the Gulf of Guinea. Unlike standard classroom instruction, SIREN immerses officers in the rhythm of a capital ship, combining theoretical instruction on maritime law with practical command-and-control (C2) exercises.
France’s involvement in 2025 has been particularly high-tempo. The GANO deployment followed closely on the heels of Exercise Crocodile Lift 2025, a bilateral amphibious exercise held in October with Nigeria. During Crocodile Lift, French and Nigerian forces conducted joint beach landings and hostage rescue simulations at Takwa Bay, laying the tactical groundwork for the multilateral scenarios enacted during Grand African Nemo.
Nigeria’s “Deep Blue” Assets in Action
Nigeria, operating primarily within Zone E of the security architecture, demonstrated significant indigenous capacity. The Nigerian Navy (NN) deployed the NNS Kada, a Damen-built Landing Ship Transport (LST) 100 delivered in 2022. The Kada serves as a critical force multiplier, capable of transporting troops, helicopters, and supplies to sustain prolonged operations at sea.
Complementing the grey-hull navy was the deployment of the DB Abuja. This vessel is a Special Mission Vessel (SMV) procured under Nigeria’s “Deep Blue Project” (the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure).
While the DB Abuja is a distinct asset class compared to traditional frigates, it is manned by Nigerian Navy personnel and operated in concert with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Its role in GANO 2025—specifically in interception and boarding scenarios—highlights the exercise’s goal of fusing military power with civil maritime law enforcement.
Nigerian Special Boat Service (SBS) units conducted Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) operations, utilising the NNS Kada as a staging base. In one high-profile drill, Nigerian assets coordinated with the FS Tonnerre to intercept a simulated narcotics runner, validating communication protocols refined during the earlier Crocodile Lift manoeuvres.
Evolving Threat Landscape
The operational design of GANO 2025 reflects a strategic pivot. For years, the primary mandate was counter-piracy. However, as pirate action groups have been suppressed, criminal syndicates have diversified.
“The threat remains, but it has mutated,” noted a participating naval observer. “We are seeing more sophisticated oil bunkering operations and industrial-scale illegal fishing that depletes local food security. GANO 2025 forced navies to treat a fishing trawler with the same tactical seriousness as a pirate skiff.”
To address this, scenarios included pollution response drills led by the French agency Cedre, and rigorous inspection regimes for fishing vessels, supported by EU monitoring programmes EnMar and SEACOP.
Strengthening Regional Resilience
The conclusion of Grand African Nemo 2025 reaffirms the value of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct. By standardising procedures for everything from evidence collection to hot pursuit across maritime borders, the exercise reduces the “sea blindness” that criminals have historically exploited.
With sustained support from partners like France and the EU, and the increasing capability of regional leaders like Nigeria, the Gulf of Guinea is steadily transitioning from a “high-risk area” to a managed maritime domain.