The Current Status of Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea

Abstract

Piratic activities create significant disruptions for maritime transport; this paper examines the maritime security situation within the Gulf of Guinea (GOG) region, focusing on Nigerian waters. It investigates facts regarding the current level of pirates attacks and assesses the effectiveness of existing policies/strategies aimed at addressing this multifaceted challenge. It deploys a combinatory quantitative method; a survey involving stakeholders from the region is working with unison with various statistics from authoritative sources like the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) databases. Results revealed a significant decline in piracy attacks and other sea crimes in Nigerian waters; this success is most likely related to the collective cooperation of several organizations such as NIMASA, the Nigerian Navy, and G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (G7++FoGG) Navies. These combined efforts have clearly enhanced security and minimized criminal activities in Nigerian waters. This could also be a result of pirates trying to evade prosecution under the recently introduced Nigerian Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offenses (SPOMO) Act. But on the other side, there has been a shift of criminal activities towards other parts of the GoG. Improving the livelihoods of coastal communities, promoting Blue Economy initiatives, enhancing surveillance capabilities, combating corruption within law enforcement/armed forces are all crucial components of an integrated strategy aimed at suppressing piracy and other maritime crimes in the GoG.