The Federal Government has called on the United Nations Security Council to support the establishment of a regional maritime surveillance system to combat piracy, crude oil theft, kidnapping and other maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.
Nigeria’s Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Dunoma Ahmed, made the call on Thursday during a Security Council debate on emerging technologies and maritime security.
FG also urged the international community to provide predictable financing for joint maritime security operations across the region warning that criminal networks were increasingly exploiting modern technologies to evade detection and undermine maritime security.
He identified piracy, kidnapping for ransom, crude oil theft and illegal fishing as major security challenges confronting countries in the Gulf of Guinea.
According to him, criminal organizations are using satellite communications and falsified vessel identification signals to conceal their activities and evade security agencies.
He, however, noted that technological advancements also offer governments improved capabilities to monitor maritime activities and respond to emerging threats, highlighting Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project, which integrates unmanned aerial vehicles, maritime surveillance systems and an advanced command center to strengthen the country’s maritime security operations.
He also described the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act, 2019, as an important legal framework for prosecuting maritime criminals.
Despite these efforts, Ahmed observed that several coastal countries lacked the technology, reliable intelligence and trained personnel required for effective maritime surveillance.
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He therefore proposed the establishment of a shared regional maritime information system that would link national surveillance capabilities and facilitate intelligence-sharing among countries.
The proposed system would operate through the Yaoundé maritime security architecture to promote intelligence-sharing and coordinated responses to maritime threats.
Nigeria urged the Security Council to encourage international partners, the International Maritime Organization, IMO, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, to support the initiative.
Ahmed also called for equitable access to surveillance technologies for developing coastal countries to strengthen their capacity to combat maritime crimes.
On regional security financing, he recalled that the African Union Peace and Security Council endorsed a Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea in April 2025.
The permanent secretary urged the Security Council to consider applying Resolution 2719, where appropriate, to provide financial support for African-led maritime security operations.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, the Economic Community of Central African States, ECCAS, the African Union and other international partners to strengthen maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
NAN
