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Efforts to curb the activities of pirates who have in the past months held sway at the dreaded Gulf of Guinea, may have received a boost during the week following the offer of the European Union (EU) to invest over 20 million Euros in fighting the seaborne crime.The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who disclosed this in Lagos Wednesday, said his agency was elated at the regional body’s to invest the whopping amount on maritime security in the worrisome zone.
The disclosure was made when the DG received a delegation of the EU consultants led by Mr. Chris Hedley in his office, Monday.
Dr. Peterside commended the EU for such an initiative and also called on other partners to collaborate with the Agency and Nigeria to eradicate the piracy and other criminal activities in the Gulf of Guinea.
He said “more than ever, Nigeria is better positioned to take advantage of strategic partnerships to make the country the hub of maritime activities in West and Central Africa”.
The NIMASA DG who observed that the Gulf of Guinea is very strategic to world trade also assured the delegation of the Agency’s determination to tackle the menace of crime at sea in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
Earlier in his address, Mr. Chris Hedley said the EU planned to use the funds in developing and strengthening legislations, building capacity in maritime security and developing the necessary Information Technology (IT) for member Nations with a view to eradicating piracy and other related crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Gulf of Guinea had remained a sore point in reference to piracy issues with an average of two deadly occurrences per week, since the beginning of the year
