European Union has donated security hardware including 30 rigidhull inflatable boats and forensic equipment valued at N2.3billion (5million euros) to Nigeria and other coun tries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to tackle maritime crime and other security challenges in the region.
The beneficiaries are Nigeria, Benin, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.
The boats and equipment, which are expected to significantly enhance the capacity of beneficiary countries to enforce the rule of law in their territorial waters and adjoining exclusive economic zones, would be supplied by 2024.
This was revealed at a high-level maritime security seminar convened by ECOWAS in Abuja on Monday, under the framework of the European Union-funded Support to West Africa Integrated Maritime Security (SWAIMS) project.