Vice President Yemi Osibanjo commissions Falcon Eye Maritime Surveillance Project on behalf of the President at at Naval HQ, Abuja

The Falcon Eye is a mass surveillance system that uses a number of electro-optic systems and cameras operated from a command centre to detect and pinpoint vehicular and human movements. It’s the most advanced system of its class in the world.

Falcon Eye is the product of RTcom Nigeria Ltd, a Nigerian company operating in Nigeria for over 20 years. It is a Nigerian firm, the company brings experts from all over the world.

The Falcon Eye uses cutting edge technology such as over the horizon radar to track every vessel in Nigeria’s EEZ and by extension the Gulf of Guinea. It’s the first and only one of its class in Africa.

The system covers blind patches in territorial waters that other surveillance system does not pick up with its cutting edge over the horizon radars.

We taking about maritime zone of 2.3 million square kilometres. Its the most dangerous maritime space in the world. Encompassing 17 countries with 60 percent of Africa’s oil production, the Gulf of Guinea is home to 4.5 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and 2.7 percent of proven natural gas reserves.

Two thirds of these reserves are concentrated within Nigeria’s EEZ the center of gravity of the region, whose oil sector accounts for 75 percent of the state’s revenue and 90 percent of total exports.

Little surpsise the Nigerian Navy has taken it upon itself to provide maritime security in the region and has invested heavily in cutting edge surveillance and monitoring technology.
The Gulf of Guinea has therefore overtaken the Gulf of Aden and Somalia as the leading global piracy hotspot. In 2019, 111 acts of piracy were counted, compared to 25 in the Indian Ocean. The Nigerian Navy basically provides maritime security for 17 countries in the region.

Credit: Defence Nigeria News