AGENDA

08:00 Executive Breakfast: Breakfast designated for VIP attendees
09:00 Opening Ceremony
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Hon. Dominic Aduna Bingab Nitiwul, Minister of Defence, Ghana
Lt. Gen. Obed Akwa, Chief of Defence Staff, Ghana Armed Forces
Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of Naval Staff, Ghana Navy
Air Vice Marshal F Hanson, Chief of Air Staff
Awards of Appreciation presented to VIP attendees; Ribbon cutting ceremony and VIP exhibition tour
10:00 Opening keynote speech: Ghana Navy – past, present and the future
Chief of Naval Staff, Ghana Navy, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama
Maritime Forces: Joint Operations and strengthening interoperability
10:20 Exclusive CNS keynote panel discussion: Integrating transnational operations for enhanced maritime security

  • Revising existing concepts for joint operations to better handle the evolving maritime security challenges of the region
  • Incorporating the intelligence, expertise and domain awareness of regional forces to best protect the greater maritime and coastal environment
  • Creating an effective road map for the coordination of multi- nation operations to overcome regional security issues

Moderator:
Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of Naval Staff, Ghana Navy

Panellists:
Captain Pedro Santana, Commander of the Coast Guard, Cape Verde
Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, Nigeria Navy
Captain Loulla Mabicka Sosthene, Chief of Naval Staff, Gabon Navy
Rear Admiral Momar Diagne, Chief of Naval Staff, Senegal Navy
11:00 Current threats and solutions for the maritime and coastal defence Commander(R) Oded Breier, Vice President Marketing, Israel Shipyards Ltd
11:20 Networking Break
12:00 International Collaboration Insights (US)
Admiral James Foggo, Commander, 6th Fleet, United States Navy
12:20 CNS Insights (Nigeria)Highlighting achievements and capabilities of Nigeria’s naval programs as well as the their projections for
advancing information sharing and overcoming criminality at sea.
Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, Nigeria Navy
Combatting illegal activities at sea
12:40 Session reserved for Paramount
13:00 Executive Panel Discussion: Counter piracy operations within the Gulf of Guinea

  • Using a cooperative approach to better understand the methods for dealing with piracy threats offensively and proactively
  • Developing the long- and short-term capacity building initiatives to better control regional waters
  • Identifying the immediate requirements of the regional navies, coast guards and law enforcement in securing the seas

Moderator:
Dr. Kamal-Deen Ali, Executive Director, Centre for Maritime Law and Security Africa
Panellists:
Captain Kenfack Dongmo Emmanuel, Commander Surface Forces, Cameroon Navy
Captain Fatou Jaiteh Baldeh, Executive Officer/ PA to CNS NHQ, Gambia Navy
Captain Philip J. Juana, Deputy Commander, Sierra Leone Navy
13:40 Session reserved for Vlatacom
13:50 Networking Lunch
14:50 Curbing illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing

  • Effectively sanctioning dedicated entities, such as Fisheries Enforcement Unit in Ghana, with the right resources to monitor and police IUU
  • Identifying the programs necessary to support local fisheries while blocking foreign vessels from industrial trawling
  • Strengthening inter-ministerial efforts in combatting IUU

Moderator:
Senior official, Fisheries Enforcement Unit, Ghana

Panellists:
Victor Hamusa Kargbo, Acting Assistant Director of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Sierra Leone Cdre EA Kwafo, National Coordinator Fisheries Enforcement Unit, Ghana
15:20 CNS Insights (Senegal)
Uncovering the methods used by Senegal’s maritime forces to monitor and patrol territorial waters as well as defining their commitment to ongoing counter-piracy operations within the GoG
Rear Admiral Momar Diagne, Chief of Naval Staff, Senegal Navy
15:40 Session reserved for Israel Aerospace Industries
16:00 CNS Insights (Guinea)
Observing Guineas efforts to protect the nations offshore oil and gas assets as well as to cooperative anti-piracy operations within the region
Rear Admiral Koi Alexis Maomou, Chief of Staff, Guinea Navy
16:20 Satellite Connectivity for Naval Networks – A Case Study
Siddharth Dubey, Defense & Intelligence Systems Division, Hughes Network Systems
16:40 Moderator’s Closing Remarks
Rear Admiral Peter Kofi Faidoo, Former Chief of Naval Staff, Ghana Navy
17:00 – 19:00 Closing Reception
Interagency approaches to secure critical infrastructure
09:00 Executive Panel Discussion: Coordination between navies, coastal guards, law enforcement and the oil sector

  • Increasing the monitoring of critical infrastructure and national resources through collaboration of oil and gas companies, emergency responders and law enforcement bodies
  • Implementing targeted task forces such as operation Ex Toru-Gbown in Nigeria to jointly and forcefully interdict crude oil theft
  • Combining resources (such as vessels, fast interceptor crafts and trained local personnel) to better combat militants

Moderator:
Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro, Former Chief of Naval Staff Ghana Navy
Panellists:
Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, Nigeria
Vice Admiral Jean-Louis Lozier, Commander, Chief for Atlantic Ocean, French Navy
Captain Pedro Santana, Commander of the Coast Guard, Cape Verde
Rear Admiral Nguessan Kouame, Chief Of Naval Staff Ivory Coast Navy
09:40 Session reserved for Milkor
Governance and regulatory aspects to secure territorial waters
10:00 Executive Panel Discussion: Integrated maritime strategies

  • African Union- Protecting and conserving Africa’s “Blue Economy”
  • ECOWAS and ECCAS- A framework for regional collaboration against maritime crimes
  • ICC- 2019 update on the regional strategy on safety and security with the regions maritime space

Moderator:
Captain Loulla Mabicka Sosthene, Director, CRESMAC. Chief of Naval Staff Gabon Navy
Panellists:
Rear Admiral Narciso Fastudo Jr Deputy Executive Director Interregional Coordination Center, Angola Navy
Captain Djorwe Koskreo, Head of Naval Component, ECCAS Regional Armed Forces
Senior Captain Boniface Konah, Acting Director, CRESMAO

10:40 CNS Insights (Togo)
UWitnessing Togo navy’s drive to enhance international collaboration to improve regional maritime security and partnerships
Captain Kossi Mayo, Chief of Staff, Togo Navy
11:30 Networking Break
12:00 Session reserved for China Shipbuilding
12:20 Collective maritime administration and partnership

  • Increasing regulations and management related to shipping, maritime labor and coastal waters of a nation
  • Strengthening maritime administrations across Africa within cooperative frameworks
  • Benchmarking existing partnerships between maritime forces and administration bodies to outline the necessity of collaboration

Dr. Dakuku Peterside, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
12:40 Session reserved for Israel Aerospace Industries
13:00 CNS Insights (Gabon)
Establishing maritime operations centres (MOC) to aid efficient, economical, and cooperative maritime security strategies
Captain Loulla Mabicka Sosthene, Chief of Naval Staff, Gabon Navy
Naval Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul
13:20 Session reserved for AirBus
13:40 CNS Insights (Ivory Coast)
Rear Admiral Nguessan Kouame, Chief Of Naval Staff, Ivory Coast Navy
14:00 International Collaboration Insights (Italy)
Rear Admiral Silvio Vratogna, Italian Navy
14:20 Closing Ceremony
Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa, Chief of Defense Staff, Ghana Armed Forces
Networking Lunch