Disturbed by the recurring attacks on vessels, theft of economic and natural resources at sea, proliferation of firearms and its attendant violence in the region, naval chiefs of 38 countries converged on the Admiralty Conference Centre, Naval Dockyard Limited, Victoria Island, Lagos for the International Maritime Conference (IMC) organised by the Nigerian Navy as part of activities to mark its 62nd anniversary.
Themed “Enhancing an Integrated Maritime Strategy for Security of the GoG,” the IMC, which was chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, was attended by over 350 participants from across the world. The participants included heads of regional navies, coastguards, ECOWAS and ECCAS representatives, top government functionaries, serving and retired military officers, captains of industry, international maritime partners as well as relevant local and international maritime stakeholders.
Buhari, who was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo , canvassed regional collaboration as the Gulf had become one of the most problematic maritime spaces in the world.
The President noted that in 2016, about 53 piracy attacks or attempted attacks, representing 28 percent of world piracy attacks, and more than 50 per cent of global kidnappings for ransom were recorded in the GoG.
“The GoG also accounted for more than 50 per cent of the global kidnappings for ransom, with 34 seafarers kidnapped out of a total of 62 worldwide. Besides, the trafficking of arms, drugs and persons, widespread unregulated and unreported fishing activities, severe environmental damage and pollution have remained constant challenges.
“The GoG is perhaps one of the most strategic maritime geographies in the world. On account of its proximity to the European and North American markets, the GoG has been an important route for container ships headed for Europe and America. Besides, the gulf hosts one of the most important regions for oil and gas production and transportation. It also contains some of the largest hydrocarbon deposits ever discovered. But in the past few years, the gulf has experienced security challenges that have made it one of the most problematic maritime spaces in the world.
“From the rise in maritime insurance premiums for vessels coming to the GoG to increased freight and reduced commercial traffic to the region, it has always been clear that it is in our national and regional interests to collaborate, to tackle the problems that we confront in the maritime domain of the region. The establishment of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) was an important initiative in this regard.
“In addition, member states of the GGC have made individual efforts to improve the capacity and capability of their navies, and other relevant agencies to enable them perform their duties more effectively. This has been well complemented by the establishment of Regional Centres for Maritime Security by the Regional Economic Communities (REC), ECOWAS and ECCAS.
“This effort is itself capped by the establishment of the Inter-regional Coordination Centre based in Yaounde, Cameroon. The invaluable multifaceted collaboration of the US and the EU is worthy of mention. And these initiatives are commendable indeed.
“But the destination of our journey to safety and stability in the Gulf is still a while away, which is why this conference is important. It is an opportunity to reopen the issues, to speak frankly on the governance issues in our states that contribute to some of the challenges we are experiencing; to explore the prospects of closer collaboration with friendly powers around the world, and to leave here with some concrete takeaways that would address the grave issues that confront us in the GoG.”
Similarly, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN) noted the need for collective efforts through collaboration and effective coordination among all stakeholders in the maritime industry at local, regional and global levels to combat these illegalities.
*The Nation
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