The Nigerian government and shipping stakeholders have launched a strategy to end piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea.
As anti-piracy efforts have increased in recent years, piracy-related attacks on merchant fleets have dropped 60 percent in a year or two, but all reported crew abductions in 2021 took place in the Gulf of Guinea.
The strategy establishes a mechanism to improve and strengthen best anti-piracy practices among local and global stakeholders.
The Nigerian government and a global coalition of shipping stakeholders have launched a new strategy to end piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping that regularly targets merchant fleets in the Gulf of Guinea.
The strategy establishes a mechanism to regularly assess the effectiveness of governments’ commitments and measures to combat piracy. Targeted at all stakeholders in the region, this mechanism will identify areas where improvements and enhancements are needed to eliminate piracy.
It is divided into two mutually supporting parts :(1) actions that can be overseen by the newly formed Nigerian Industry Working group-niwg; (2) Actions that require participation with other regional and international partners. The alliance’s strategic goal is to eliminate piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, secure trade routes, reassure sailors and shipowners who sail in the waters, and support local communities.
In May, the United Nations Security Council condemned piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. The threat level in the Gulf of Guinea remains high, although the INTERNATIONAL Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center tracked an overall decline in global piracy in 2021.
Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has been a serious threat to seafarers and local communities for more than a decade. In 2020, 40 percent of the world’s pirate attacks and 95 percent of crew abductions took place in the region. However, as the Nigerian government gradually moved forward with the anti-piracy program code-named Deep Blue, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Safety Authority (NIMASA) increased counter-piracy operations with international involvement, resulting in a nearly 60 percent decrease in attacks in 2021.
The Nigeria Industry Working Group (NIWG) formed as part of the anti-piracy strategy is represented by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Baltic Sea International Shipping Conference (BIMCO), the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko), the International Dry Bulk Shipowners’ Association (Intercargo), and the International Maritime Forum of Oil Companies (OCIMF) And representatives from the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Safety Authority.
Bashir Jamoh, Director general of the Nigerian Maritime Safety Authority, said: “Enhanced intergovernmental and non-governmental collaboration, including various key players and stakeholders in the maritime industry, will facilitate collective improvements in key areas. “This strategy is an important step in our joint efforts to maintain maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and will be an important tool for monitoring progress.”
Guy Platten, ICS General Secretary, stressed: “The conclusion of this strategy demonstrates the strong relationship between the shipping industry and the Nigerian government and their shared commitment to eradicating piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. The strategy has identified areas for success and further improvement. These measures will strengthen the fight against piracy in these waters.”
BIMCO Secretary General and President David Loosley said, “The Joint Anti-piracy Strategy is a welcome outcome of a productive dialogue between Nigerian authorities and industry partners. The long-term success of the joint strategy depends on creating structures and incentives to stimulate sustainable change in piracy in the Niger Delta.”
“The agreement on the Counter-piracy Strategy in the Gulf of Guinea marks an important point in the fight against piracy in the region,” said Katharina Stanzel, Managing Director of Intertanko. This burden has long been borne by seafarers sailing in the area. This agreed strategy and its associated KPIs will help make their navigation in the waters safer and more secure.”
Kostas Gkonis, Secretary General of Intercargo, further said, “The shipping industry is embarking on a new journey with Nigeria through this new strategy, which is an organized approach to addressing security issues in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea. This is only the first step and partners must continue to work together to ensure continuous improvement and ensure that the shipping community and local economies see real change as a result of the strategy “.
Karen Davis, OCIMF Managing Director, said: “It is vital that piracy is identified and prioritized to help prevent harm to our seafarers. This joint strategy makes it clear that cooperation can bring about a fundamental shift in addressing piracy and has already proven positive.”
A Spokesman for the Nigerian Navy said: “The Nigerian Navy plays a vital role in ensuring maritime security. Collaboration between governments and international stakeholders is vital and this joint strategy demonstrates the benefits that can be achieved through collaboration.