The Nigerian Immigration Service has said that maritime insecurity, especially in the Gulf of Guinea, threatens the safety of vessels and crew members.
The NIS noted that the threats undermine regional stability, economic growth, and integration.
Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, made this observation on Tuesday in Lagos during a regional workshop on maritime border security co-hosted by the NIS with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre.
The workshop was themed ‘Maritime border security in the context of counter-terrorism in the Gulf of Guinea’.
She described the theme as apt and timely in evaluating and rethinking security under the present circumstances of evolving maritime threats in the GoG.
“Maritime insecurity from illegal oil bunkering, fishing, piracy, armed robbery, and oil-related crimes threatens vessel and crew safety. These threats undermine regional stability and hinder economic growth and integration. And this is why we are gathered here today to find actionable solutions,” Nandap said.
She explained that the workshop further underscored the agency’s collective resolve to tackle piracy, terrorism, illicit flow of arms, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and stowaways, among other transnational organised crimes.
Nandap maintained that NIS aims to achieve this through sound policies, capacity building, community engagement, collaboration, and regional partnerships.
The NIS boss lamented that along West Africa’s Atlantic coast, the Gulf of Guinea is known for piracy, especially near Nigeria.
“It spans several countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, and Ghana. Due to its offshore oil and gas reserves, the region plays a crucial role in the global energy sector,” she explained.
The NIS boss stressed that beyond oil and gas, harnessing the economic potential of the GoG resonates with Agenda 2063.
She maintained that the NIS recognises the urgent priority of innovating countermeasures by deploying advanced surveillance systems and communication technologies for early detection and response.
According to her, mitigating maritime threats in the region requires a broad spectrum of initiatives, not limited to international collaboration, but also fortifying defence capabilities in the marine domain.
“The NIS plays a pivotal role in maritime border security while ensuring that foreign terrorist fighters and other criminal elements do not exploit our territorial integrity. Passenger facilitation and control of travel documents are the root of all counter-terrorist interventions,” she said.
She assured that the agency would continue to prioritise cooperation, professionalism, and deployment of cutting-edge technologies in the surveillance and management of our borders.
“We aim to create a peaceful maritime environment to maximise blue economy potential and achieve social, environmental, and economic goals in the Gulf of Guinea,” she said.
