Gulf of Guinea Focus: Week 27
- Agwe Global
- 17 hours ago
- 5 min read
As the Gulf of Guinea faces growing threats from terrorism, piracy, and transnational crimes, the Nigerian Immigration Service NIS) has called for enhanced regional and international collaboration to secure Africa’s most vulnerable maritime corridor. Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, made the appeal in Lagos at a three-day workshop themed, “Maritime Security in the Context of Counter-Terrorism in the Gulf of Guinea.” She emphasised that isolated national efforts are inadequate to confront the complex and evolving security challenges plaguing West Africa’s coastline. “Our threats are transnational, and so must be our response. No agency or government involved in border security and migration management can operate independently,” Nandap stated. The high-level event, organised in collaboration with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), brought together security leaders, diplomats, and regional stakeholders from across West and Central Africa to strategise on joint maritime security efforts. Nandap outlined the NIS’s key role in maritime border protection—ranging from surveillance and document verification to the interception of terrorist operatives and organised crime networks.
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The Nigerian Immigration Service has said that maritime insecurity, especially in the Gulf of Guinea, threatens the safety of vessels and crew members. The NIS noted that the threats undermine regional stability, economic growth, and integration. Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, made this observation in Lagos during a regional workshop on maritime border security co-hosted by the NIS with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre. The workshop was themed ‘Maritime border security in the context of counter-terrorism in the Gulf of Guinea’. She described the theme as apt and timely in evaluating and rethinking security under the present circumstances of evolving maritime threats in the GoG. “Maritime insecurity from illegal oil bunkering, fishing, piracy, armed robbery, and oil-related crimes threatens vessel and crew safety. These threats undermine regional stability and hinder economic growth and integration. And this is why we are gathered here today to find actionable solutions,” Nandap said. She explained that the workshop further underscored the agency’s collective resolve to tackle piracy, terrorism, illicit flow of arms, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and stowaways, among other transnational organised crimes.
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In a bold move to scale up the fight against maritime crimes and bolster the security of Nigeria’s territorial waters, particularly the Gulf of Guinea corridor, which remains vital to regional and global trade, the Nigerian Navy last week commissioned and inducted three state-of-the-art warships — NNS SHERE, NNS FARO, and NNS IKOGOSI, alongside three AW109 Trekker helicopters into its fleet. As the third-largest naval force in Africa, Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that it’s a clear demonstration that the Nigerian Navy’s fleet recapitalisation programme is firmly on track, reinforcing its growing capability to combat maritime illegalities and safeguard national interests at sea. Although 70 per cent of Nigeria’s economic growth lies on the waterways, the maritime domain is fraught with diverse threats such as terrorism, transnational organised crimes, trafficking and illicit economic activities, sea piracy and robbery, smuggling illegal fishing and even crude oil theft, all of which are enhanced by the interconnectedness of the maritime domain. To tackle this, the Nigerian Navy has had to patrol the endless miles of waterways to protect the nation’s territorial integrity, as well as contribute its quota at the regional level, by patrolling the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, which is a vast expanse of water stretching almost 6,000km from Senegal to Angola.
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The Nigerian Navy has arrested 76 vessels and at least 242 suspects in anti-oil theft operations, and destroyed more than 800 illegal refining sites during a two-year crackdown, it said. Rampant oil theft from pipelines and wells has crippled Nigeria's oil industry in recent years, damaging government finances and stifling exports. Since June 2023, naval authorities have seized around 171,000 barrels of crude and millions of litres of illegally refined fuels from criminal networks, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla said at a briefing in the capital Abuja. The navy also began verifying oil cargoes loaded at Nigeria's five major export terminals in January to combat oil theft at its source, Ogalla said. The navy has acquired patrol boats, three new ships and three AW 139 Trekker helicopters. It is also building two additional seaward defence boats and will take delivery of two 76-meter offshore patrol vessels from Dearsan Shipyard in Turkey.
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The Rivers State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Nigerian Navy and other security agencies to strengthen maritime security, protect national assets, and boost economic growth through advanced technology. The assurance was given by the State Administrator, His Excellency Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, during a courtesy visit by participants of the Nigerian Naval Warfare College (NNWC) Course 9 at the Government House in Port Harcourt. Embracing Technology for Safer Waters Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika, Vice Admiral Ibas described the theme of the study tour, “Optimizing Technology for Effective Maritime Security Operations,” as timely, given the increasing sophistication of maritime threats such as piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling, and environmental hazards. “The integration of modern technology—including satellite surveillance, AI-powered threat detection, and autonomous systems—is no longer optional but a necessity in securing our waters,” he stated. “Rivers State is ready to support all federal security agencies in deploying these innovations to safeguard our maritime domain.”
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The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has inaugurated the Governing Board of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), describing it as a vital pillar in Nigeria’s maritime and transport development framework. The inauguration, which held at the Ministry in Abuja, marks what the Minister called “a timely intervention” to ensure effective institutional leadership capable of steering the Authority toward infrastructure development, regulation of inland waterways, and regional economic integration. According to Oyetola, the newly-inaugurated board is expected to provide strategic policy direction and oversight in line with the NIWA Act. He clarified that the operational responsibilities of the Authority remain with the Managing Director and management team. The Minister emphasized the importance of maintaining institutional discipline and respecting governance boundaries, citing provisions from the NIWA Act, the Public Service Rules, and the Public Procurement Act. “The Board must discharge its duties with professionalism and a clear understanding of its oversight role,” Oyetola stated.
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