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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has called for urgent establishment of a joint maritime task force in the Gulf of Guinea to combat escalating criminal activities.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President who was speaking at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, stressed Nigeria’s commitment to regional maritime security.
Represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Tinubu, said: “The time has come for the African Union Peace and Security Council to prioritise the creation of a Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea.”
Tinubu, further announced Nigeria’s offer to host the task force headquarters in Lagos.
The proposed task force is aimed at addressing a range of illicit activities plaguing the Gulf of Guinea, including piracy, armed robbery against ships, kidnappings, gun running, drugs, and human trafficking.
The Nigerian Navy had previously disclosed plans to establish such a force with other countries in the Gulf of Guinea. Member countries include: Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire.
Nigeria’s commitment to maritime security was further underscored by its agreement with the AU to provide Strategic Sealift Services for peace support operations, natural disaster relief, humanitarian actions, and personnel movement, with the Nigerian Navy providing a vessel on a cost-recovery basis.
The call for a joint task force followed previous efforts to bolster maritime security in the region, including the Port Harcourt Declaration in May 2022, which called for the establishment of a Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) in the Gulf of Guinea.
The AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) has also been actively involved, directing the AU Commission to engage with the CMTF and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) to align their activities.
