The Danish Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has commissioned a state-of-the-art "Ship-in-a-Box" project for the Ghana Navy Special Boat Squadron (GNSBS). This facility will be used for Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) training and will enable swift and effective responses to emerging threats, thereby enhancing maritime security.

The commissioning ceremony was held at the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) in Nutepkor, located in the Volta Region, marking the successful implementation of this innovative project, funded by the Danish government. The project, implemented by the Danish Government and UNODC, aims to strengthen Ghana's maritime law enforcement capabilities, particularly in combating piracy, drug trafficking, and other transnational organised crimes.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister for Defence, Honourable Dominic Nitiwul, expressed the Government of Ghana’s appreciation to the Danish Government for its support to the Ghana Navy. “The Ghana Navy has benefitted immensely from the Danish Government Maritime Security Programme in the Gulf of Guinea, especially in the development of the Special Boat Squadron and the acquisition of the Full Mission Bridge Simulator to build capacity for our sea-going officers and ratings”, he said.

He added that the commissioning of the facility underscores the collective effort to stay ahead of traditional and emerging maritime security threats, ensuring that the Ghana Navy remains prepared to act with professionalism at sea. He urged personnel to protect the facility diligently, noting the associated security challenges and implications.

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, in his welcome address, described the commissioning of the "Ship-in-a-Box" facility as a significant step towards realizing the vision of NAVTRAC to become a World-Class Centre of Excellence for professional maritime training. He expressed the Ghana Navy’s profound appreciation to the Government of Ghana through the Minister for Defence, as well as to the Danish Government and UNODC for their support.

“The 'Ship-in-a-Box' project will undoubtedly add to the array of training facilities designed to support the operational capacity of the Ghana Navy, as well as other regional navies and maritime security agencies, enabling them to conduct the full spectrum of training necessary to enhance our ability to project force in our maritime domain,” he said.

In his remarks, the Danish Foreign Minister, Mr. Lars Løkke Rasmussen, emphasized that Denmark’s partnership with Ghana plays a vital role in securing the maritime domain. He reiterated Denmark's strong support for the principle of freedom of navigation at sea, which is essential for both regional and international trade, and called for greater cooperation in building capacity for maritime law enforcement agencies.

According to Mr. Rasmussen, Denmark has focused on regional cooperation through the formulation of national maritime strategies, harmonized standard operating procedures, and joint training and sea patrols. He mentioned that Denmark recently supported ECOWAS in reassessing the mandate, structure, and operations of the maritime coordination centres to enhance their efficiency.

The Regional Representative of UNODC, Mr. Amado Philip De Andres, in his remarks, stated that the commissioning of the "Ship-in-a-Box" marks another important milestone in UNODC’s ongoing efforts to support the criminal justice sector of Ghana and other regional member states, particularly within the ECOWAS Zone F region under the Yaoundé Architecture, with the overall aim of enhancing maritime law enforcement capacity and inter-agency collaboration to effectively address maritime crimes at sea.