The Gulf of Guinea has been described as the most dangerous part of the world for seafarers, accounting for almost all of the kidnappings at sea in recent years. Authorities in the area are working to put an end to the mayhem led by sea pirates. As part of this, the United States is deploying a warship to Nigeria on Saturday, August 7, 2021.

To carry out the anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Guinea, the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, the first warship permanently assigned to Africa, arrived in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. The deployment of this equipment is part of the US government's support for the fight against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Claire Pierangelo, Consul General of the United States in Lagos said that this accompaniment clearly demonstrates the continued dedication of the United States to its partners in the Gulf of Guinea who are fighting for the security of their resources, their economy and their people.

“Nigeria and other West African countries are losing around 800,000 tons of fish a year, worth nearly $2 billion in gross revenue, to illegal activities by foreign and domestic vessels. . This removes vast seafood proteins from the region,” Pierangelo said. Indeed, Nigerian waters are at the center of the Gulf of Guinea, a vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean that stretches from Senegal to Angola. “We are here to train and work with the Nigerian Navy on counter-piracy, tactics, techniques and procedures,” Hershel “Woody” Williams Captain Chad Graham said. US investments and donations to the Nigerian military are worth more than $559 million, including part of transfers from the renamed Naval Coast Guards NNS Okpabana and NNS Thunder.