Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to fighting piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

Speaking at the 3rd Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) in Ghana, Buhari highlighted that the country had already allocated significant resources towards tackling the issue, including through the Deep Blue Project, which unveiled $195 million worth of boats, vehicles and aircraft in June 2021. He also urged other member countries to enact laws against piracy and other criminal acts, as Nigeria had done with the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act, 2019.

Buhari stressed the importance of regular meetings among the Gulf of Guinea Commission member countries to promote peace and security in the region, and to discuss and develop strategies to achieve these goals.

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He commended the outgoing Executive Secretary of the GGC, Ambassador Florence Ukonga, for her dedication and selflessness in the discharge of her functions, particularly in facing the organisation’s financial challenges without compromising its integrity.

Buhari emphasised the significance of the GGC’s joint Africa Naval Exercise, which is due to take place in Lagos on May 15, 2023, and praised the GGC for elevating its status to partner with the African Union to implement sub-regional programmes on maritime security, safety and sustainable development issues in Central and West Africa.

The theme of the extraordinary session, “Building a Safe, Secure and Prosperous Gulf of Guinea Region for Sustainable Development”, is particularly relevant to address the challenges faced by the region.