CEOAFRICA gathered that in an effort to deepen relationship with Nigeria, the Dutch government has deployed an amphibious transport ship currently on tour to some selected African countries to engage in joint exercise with Nigerian Navy on possible modalities to strengthen security operation in the gulf of guinea and other parts of Nigerian waters.

According to source, the theme of the tour is “African Winds’’ and it is a Dutch strategy aimed at supporting United States, African partnership station initiative (APS) which has existed since 2007 and focus on building the maritime capacity of Africa partner nations such as Nigeria.

While speaking on the issue, Dutch ambassador to Nigeria, John Groffen said the initiative does not limit itself to the military fronts as it also supports civil capacity through development and diplomacy. Adding that, the visit is focused on strong economic relations, as well as constructive co-operation in the field of regional security access to maritime infrastructure such as ports and off-shore installations.