A study by the International Maritime Bureau (BMI), has said that the Gulf of Guinea is now the most dangerous piracy zone for oil companies, with a record of attacks in recent years.
According to the report, the first quarter of 2020 was marked by a peak in maritime piracy worldwide, with the Gulf of Guinea recording 21 of the 47 reported attacks. Seventeen crew members were also kidnapped during these attacks. In 2019, 38 attacks were reported throughout the year worldwide. There are 121 kidnappings for the Gulf of Guinea, 90% of the total sea abductions in the world.
According to experts, this situation is explained by the fact that the Gulf of Guinea is home to at least eight oil exporting countries with extensive exploration programs throughout the area which will see more new producers in the coming years.
It should be noted that the majority of incidents occurred in Nigerian territorial waters, in particular around the Niger Delta, in Equatorial Guinean waters, but also, to a lesser extent, on the maritime platform of the port of Lagos.
In Nigeria, piracy has lost an average of 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day, which is equivalent to about $ 1.5 billion per month. This represents almost 5% of the country’s GDP.
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