Gulf of Guinea Focus: Week 43
- Agwe Global
- 15 minutes ago
- 5 min read
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency has hosted naval officers from 20 countries across the world currently on the Siren Course onboard the Lhd Tonnerre, who visited the agency for a knowledge-sharing engagement aimed at strengthening maritime security cooperation. This was contained in a statement by the Deputy Director/Head of Public Relations at NIMASA, Osagie Edward, obtained by The PUNCH. He explained that the team led by the Defence Attaché at the French Embassy, Colonel Stéphane Oseo, sought to deepen understanding of how maritime administrations operate within the framework of the Yaoundé Architecture for Maritime Safety and Security in West and Central Africa. Colonel Oseo described the collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and NIMASA as a model partnership worthy of study, particularly for its effectiveness in enhancing security coordination in the Gulf of Guinea. The 40 participants, drawn from 20 different countries, have been onboard the vessel since September 1, making a port call in Lagos for two days. During the visit, they engaged with NIMASA’s Deep Blue Project officials on strategies for maritime domain awareness and inter-agency coordination.
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The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed a 25 per cent increase in reported incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea in the first nine months of 2025, with the highest recorded number in the Singapore Straits since 1991. IMB and its Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in a recent report, released on October 14, 2024, disclosed that 15 incidents were reported in the Gulf of Guinea for the period of January-September 2025, compared to 12 in the same period of 2024. Of these, the IMB report revealed that 10 occurred in territorial waters, under the definition of armed robbery and the remaining five under the definition of piracy. According to IMB, while incident numbers remain curbed, crew safety remains a concern. The report revealed that 14 crew members were kidnapped in these waters from January to September 2025. IMB reported that despite zero crew kidnappings in Q3, perpetrators continue to demonstrate the capability to target vessels out at sea. “In late August, a product tanker was boarded 46nm from Ghana. Its 13 crew are safe, but this and other reports underscore the need to continue adhering to the latest versions of the industry-recognised Best Management Practices,” the report stated. On the global incident levels, IMB reported 116 incidents in the period under review, up from 79 in the same period in 2024, the highest reported nine-month figures since 2021.
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There has recently been an up-tick in activities geared towards ensuring safety on our waterways. At the onset of this year’s rainy and flood season, the usually dormant National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, roused itself and collaborated with the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, to conduct a safety campaign aimed at “promoting best practices” on our waterways. At that occasion with the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola in attendance, NIWA gave away 3,500 life jackets to waterways users in Lagos. NIWA has continued its sensitisation campaign to increase safety awareness and compliance among waterways operators and users.We are delighted that our long-standing advocacy for government agencies to get more serious about the safety of our waterways is eliciting action from some organs of the federal and some state governments. The International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, in a release published on October 21, 2023, reported that between January 2018 and October 2023, boat mishaps claimed average of 17 persons per month. It listed deaths from the top ten most accident-prone states as: Niger – 275; Kebbi – 144; Kwara – 125; Sokoto – 117; Lagos – 92; Anambra – 80; Bauchi – 76; Kano – 45; Bayelsa – 40 and Benue – 34.
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The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft has intercepted a fibre boat loaded with about 4,000 litres of suspected Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) near Commodore Pool within the Atlas Cove area of Lagos State. Briefing journalists on the incident yesterday, the Executive Officer of NNS Beecroft, Idongesit Udoessien, who represented the Commander, Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel, said the interception was part of ongoing efforts to prevent economic sabotage and enhance maritime security in Lagos and the coastal regions. According to him, the operation occurred in the early hours, October 11, 2025, when the patrol team stationed at Tarkwa Bay intercepted the boat through the Nigerian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness facility and the Western Regional Control Centre of the Falcon Eye Alignment. He said: “The suspects abandoned the boat and fled upon sighting our patrol team.” Udoessien explained that the product had been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Lagos State Command, represented by Superintendent Amoo Kehinde, for further action.
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When five Nigerian Navy warships steamed out of the Apapa Naval Base in early October 2025, escorted by two helicopters and a contingent of Special Boat Service (SBS) commandos, it signalled more than just another round of naval manoeuvre. It marked the commencement of Exercise Crocodile Lift 2025 — an amphibious and maritime warfare exercise jointly conducted by the Nigerian Navy and the French Navy, designed to strengthen tactical coordination, regional security, and naval diplomacy in the Gulf of Guinea. The exercise, which was conducted between October 8 and 10, according to naval experts, symbolised a powerful statement that Nigeria is steadily consolidating its role as a maritime power in West Africa, and France is reaffirming its enduring strategic interest in the region. Together, the two nations embarked on three days of rigorous operations, simulation exercises, and capacity-building exercise that highlighted how far their naval partnership has evolved — and how vital it is for the safety of regional waters.
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A steep drop in piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea could be short-lived if the region fails to address the drivers of maritime crime, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Issa Yakubu, Executive Chairman of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute, has warned. He said the factors behind the phenomenon, including joblessness, weak governance and dwindling fish stocks, remain a threat despite recent gains. “The battle is far from over. Reported attacks have declined significantly since their peak in 2020, but the underlying drivers still pose a serious risk to maritime security in the sub-region. There are still concerns in the international community that even though it has gone down, it is not gone away. It is possible that it will come back. “High youth unemployment and collapsing fisheries continue to push many into criminal activity at sea. Addressing these root causes is as important as military or legal action,” he elaborated. The Gulf of Guinea – stretching from Senegal to Angola – is one of the world’s most strategic shipping routes, rich in oil, gas and fisheries resources. But in 2020, it accounted for about 95 percent of all global pirate attacks, with 84 incidents and 135 crew members.
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