Gulf of Guinea Focus: Week 34
- Agwe Global
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Navy have renewed their strategic partnership with the endorsement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen maritime security, enhance safety and deepen coordinated enforcement across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The MoU was signed at the Nigerian Navy Headquarters, Abuja, by the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, and the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
Read more here: https://tribuneonlineng.com/maritime-security-nimasa-nigerian-navy-renew-mou-to-strengthen-collaboration/
The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has said strategic maritime security is essential to sustaining private investment, protecting critical energy infrastructure and promoting Nigeria’s economic growth as the Nigerian Navy commissioned the SSV-KALI 3 Security Patrol and Support Vessel in Delta State.
The inauguration ceremony, held on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at Yade Barge, Niger River Bank, Asemoku Jetty, Okpai, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, marked the operationalisation of a partnership between the Nigerian Navy and Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO) to strengthen maritime security.
Read more here: https://championnews.com.ng/blog/cns-inaugurates-security-patrol-vessel-says-strategic-security-necessary-for-private-investment-progress/
The European Union has strengthened its engagement with the Nigerian Navy, the Western Naval Command and the newly established Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea (CMTF-GoG), headquartered in Lagos.
The development followed a recent EU technical mission to Lagos focused on deepening cooperation on maritime security and capacity building in the Gulf of Guinea.
The mission provided an opportunity for the EU to demonstrate its ongoing support for regional maritime security initiatives, including the monitoring of Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) training led by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the €15 million Safe Seas programme.
Funded by the European Union, EnMAR+ enhances maritime security and governance in the Gulf of Guinea, Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean by strengthening EU’s engagement, coordination and visibility.
With 90% of world trade transported by ship, maritime security is today an international priority. The Gulf of Guinea (GoG), the Red Sea and the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) are key maritime areas of interest for the EU. These regions are a critical conduit for cargo and energy between Asia, Africa and Europe.
However, rising threats such as piracy, organised crime, geopolitical tensions, and disruptions to critical infrastructure have underscored the need to protect maritime routes and enhance infrastructure resilience, both of which are indispensable to regional prosperity, EU economic growth, and global stability.
Read more here: https://www.expertisefrance.fr/en/projects/enmar-enhanced-maritime-action-gulf-guinea-red-sea-and-western-indian-ocean'
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has approved the deployment of two gunboats to the Rivers State Command to strengthen security operations on waterways.
The Commandant General Ahmed Audi, stated that the deployment was aimed at enhancing the corps’ capacity to secure the waterways and combat crimes associated with the maritime environment, particularly crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has raised alarm that more than 90 seafarers are now being held by pirates and armed robbers following a resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters.
IMO secretary-general; Arsenio Dominguez issued an urgent call for their release following reports that the Seamull had been hijacked on August 20.
The latest seizure means six vessels are now being held in the region.
Dominguez said the captive seafarers were living under constant threat and uncertainty, with some having limited access to food, fresh water, medical assistance and other essential supplies.
Comments