ABSTRACT
Why have the modern Nigerian and Ghana navies often been portrayed as not possessing the type of vessels appropriate for increasing naval constabulary duties such as related to piracy and smuggling frequently conducted in “brown water” environments? This chapter identifies the British colonial naval legacy that began in the 1930s and the nationalist aspirations of West African political leaders of the decolonization era of the 1950s as creating an unrealistic expectation for expensive “green” or “blue” water navies and related naval port facilities in Nigeria and Ghana. At their foundation, these navies looked outward to defending ports from enemy submarines and conducting conventional naval engagements in the context of a global war rather than looking inward to potential local security challenges.
