New Telegraph

Foreign navies’ incursion on Nigeria waters thickens

Eight foreign Naval forces are gradually building their presence on Nigeria and other waters in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) under the guise of Exercise Grand African Nemo (EGAN) designed to tame kidnapping, piracy and robbery, BAYO AKOMOLAFE reports

Recently, 27 local and foreign nations commenced the multinational maritime exercise called Grand African Nemo 2022 off the coast of West Africa. Specifically, no fewer than 40 vessels and five aircraft from different nations were deployed. The United States Navy’s expeditionary sea base Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams and a P-8A maritime patrol aircraft were not left out. According to the French Ministry of Defence, the exercise, which ran from October 11 to 16, 2022, covered the region from Senegal to Angola. The exercise, organised by France and West Africa, saw the French ship Germinal and the Landing Helicopter Dock Tonnerre deployed in the area as part of operation Corymbe, along with a maritime patrol aircraft (Atlantique II) and Falcon 50 maritime surveillance aircraft. The French Ministry of Defence said that since 2018, Grand African Nemo had become the most important annual maritime security event in the Gulf of Guinea.

Rationale

The fourth edition was aimed at sharing know-how and improving the operational level of participants in the fight against illegal fishing, piracy, maritime pollution illegal trafficking and rescue at sea. Grand African Nemo 2022 participants included United Kingdom, United States. France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Nigeria, Angola, Benin, Liberia, Gambia, Ghana, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Morocco, Sao-Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. The ministry said: “Through the co-steering of this ambitious exercise, France and its African partners are making a decisive contribution to improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.” The French ministry pointed out that the Gulf of Guinea, covering 5 707 kilometres of West African coastline from Senegal to Angola was a key maritime region. Located at the crossroads of major shipping routes, the region is home to important natural resources, including oil, fish and minerals, which are ripe for illicit activities. The ministry noted that the French Navy conducts three to four regional naval exercises annually as part of the African Nemo exercise series, which culminates in the major annual exercise Grand African Nemo. Starting in 2013, the exercise series trains on the collective efforts to establish maritime security and stability in the Gulf of Guinea.

Report
In December 2021, a United Nations’ report said that the surge of maritime piracy in Africa’s Gulf of Guinea was not just a threat to the foreign ship and cargo owners but also carries significant costs that amount to over $1.9billion annually for the coastal nations. According to the report titled, “Pirates of the Gulf of Guinea: A Cost Analysis for the Coastal States,” the newest hotspot for piracy saw 106 incidents in 2020 with 623 seafarers affected by kidnapping. The report made together with the stable Seas Research Group, said that most of the direct costs of the kidnappings and ship seizures were incurred by foreigners for kidnappings of non-African ship crew members.

Incursion

Because of this, EU proposed to its member states in a memo under a Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) that France, Portuguese, Denmark, Italy and Spain should lead the onslaught by sending ships to Nigeria and other waters in the region for eight months each in 2022.

Directive

Also, they resolved to patrol West African waters with warships till 2024 under guise of stemming down pirate attacks. In the memo dated January 12, 2022, EU said: The Gulf of Guinea in West Africa continues to be particularly dangerous for seafarers. The region now accounts for just over 95 per cent of all kidnappings for ransom at sea. The Pirate Action Group (PAG) said that pirates risk remains high from Togo to Gabon, with Nigeria as the centre of gravity. Before the Grand African Nemo 2022exercise, Danish, French, Italian, Portuguese ships have been doing exercises under a “pilot” EU project called the Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) Concept in the region.

Legal framework

Also, there is another plan to put down legal roots by exploring “handover agreements” with the 20 countries in the Gulf of Guinea, meaning that they would take control of the waters in the region. The memo reads: “If the national appropriate legal framework is in place, pirates will be transferred to the concerned member states for prosecution.” Already, EU is building an intelligence- sharing platform linking more than 300 EU and national authorities in Gulf of Guinea with responsibilities in maritime surveillance. For instance, the EU diplomats were thinking of launching a strategic communication campaign, with special events, involving CMP “naval visits” at ports of call, such as Lagos in Nigeria. Apart from the European Union’s pilot-mission, Danish, French, Italian, Spanish and United States warships have also done independent patrols in the Gulf of Guinea in recent times.

Economic cost

Before the latest development, the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, had said that the economic cost of maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea currently stood at $793.7 million. At the Chief of the Naval Staff Annual Conference (CONSAC) in Kano, titled: “Enhancing Collaboration among Stakeholders for Improved Maritime Security in Nigeria,” he noted that despite the rich potential of the maritime sector in the areas of job creation and revenue generation, and its vital role in facilitating more than 90 per cent of world trade through shipping, the sector was undermined by maritime insecurity. He stated: “The economic cost of maritime insecurity is very pronounced for Nigeria compared to other countries, while the economic cost of piracy activity in Asia was estimated at $4.5 million (as of 2016), the estimated economic cost of maritime insecurity in the GoG was about $793.7 million.”

Challenges

“Studies have identified the following factors as the drivers of maritime insecurity in the region. They include an increase in ship traffic as a result of globalisation; the debilitating leadership of many of the states in the region; the proliferation of small arms; poor monitoring and control of the oceans; and criminality, which have been further aggravated by visible youth unemployment.”

Last line

High level of poverty and economic hardships are responsible for the insecurity in West African waters. Governments in the region need cooperation rather than relying on foreign security presence.

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