F.G Calls For Cooperation Against Piracy At Gulf Of Guinea

The Federal Government has urged countries in the Gulf of Guinea to collaborate towards ensuring regional stability.

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mr Clement Agba, made the call at the Graduation of the Anti-Piracy Course 3/2022 organised by the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPKC) on Friday in Abuja.

The course was organised in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the support of the Government of Japan.

The minister was represented by the Director, International Cooperation, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Lanre Adekanye.

He said the course was meant to checkmate the recurrent phenomenon of piracy in the gulf of Guinea region and countries bordering it.

According to him, being a major international economic route, the need to improve maritime security along the coastlines, territorial economic seas, and exclusive zones cannot be overemphasised.

“It is, therefore, heartwarming to note that the Government of Japan has spearheaded the funding of the project as a bilateral cooperation effort through the UNDP and MLAILPKC.

“This Project aligns with international best practice towards enhancing the capabilities and capacity of relevant security institutions with the assistance of Member State Governments to create a more secured, stable and prosperous continent.

“It is important to protect and utilise our natural resources as a means for economic growth, jobs creation through robust regional and international trade, increased export and import, balance of payment, amongst others.

“The menace of piracy has however denied us these opportunities and has further impoverished the continent,” he said.

Agba emojasised the need for maritime countries in the Gulf of Guinea to be equipped with strong, professional military and law enforcement institutions that could provide the setting for maritime trade to flourish.

He added that when maritime trade freely sailed across the seas, economic development and the opportunity for prosperity were possible.