Nigeria would welcome a naval coalition in the Gulf of Guinea as part of efforts to stem the piracy tide, says Dr Dakuka Peterside, director general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
THE heightened risk of piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea is putting progress in Nigeria’s shipping sector on hold, with would-be investors deterred due to the heightened security issue.
Dr Dakuka Peterside, director general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, which is responsible for overseeing security under its scope of activities in the country’s coastal waters, said the “negative impact” of hijackings and kidnappings are stunting shipping’s development.
The only way that Nigeria can turn around its fortunes will be to change perceptions, a task that is easier than done, he said at the West Africa Shipping Summit held as part of London International Shipping Week.
“We need to fix things. That’s the ultimate way to change perception about Nigeria and what’s going on in the Gulf of Guinea,” Mr Peterside told Lloyd’s List.
He had said in June that the piracy issue in the region will be eradicated in a matter of months.
Three months on and the upcoming piracy incident report published by industry watchdog for the third quarter of 2019 is likely to reveal more damning statistics of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria.
