On the quayside of Nigeria's chaotic main port of Lagos, sailors from an American navy ship relax with a game of basketball at sunset. The uss Nashville and her crew of 420 are trying to make the sea safer in a region struggling not just with piracy but with drug smuggling, human trafficking and attacks by militants on oil-rigs and pipelines. Since January the 17,000-tonne amphibious transport ship has been a floating classroom, stopping off at five ports along Africa's western coast to help train local navies. An international team on board led by American service people and civilians have been teaching courses ranging from small-boat maintenance to anti-terrorism. The aim is to help Africa's navies monitor their own waters better.
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