Dangerous Waters

Covid-19, no doubt, has brought significant changes and outcomes all over the world. Border closure due to COVID-19 guidelines is making the maritime route preferred routes of drug smugglers, according to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). Significantly real, insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea is also increasing rapidly with piracy attacks. These issues portray how unregulated the ports are. For instance, the Gulf is regarded as the world’s worst piracy hotspot with maritime piracy progressing by about 50 per cent in 2019. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reports that incidences of marine piracy increase form 78 reported incidents in 2018 to 121 in 2019.

As maritime attacks continue, the terrains become a haven for drug smugglers. The annual escalation of insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea becomes a threat to affected countries, particularly Nigeria. About 7 per cent of the nation’s oil fortune is lost to this menace. The security crisis is a clear threat to development in the region, and it requires a regional commitment of countries in the area to tackle it. Taking a different approach other than security, according to the International Peace Institute, many communities in the Gulf are neck-deep into underdevelopment and poverty. This has created a condition whereby locals are increasingly seeking ways to survive these harsh realities. The attending consequences are seeking other measures that may not be legal to improve their living conditions, and this has worsened insecurity in the region. In these scenarios, residents are potentially caught up in the smuggling business.

For example, in Somalia, sea piracy is a booming business. It was originally set off to protect Somalian waters due to the weakness of government in setting up coast guards, Somalian pirates gained notoriety for the indiscriminate hijacking of ships around the Horn of Africa. In response to the spate of piracy by Somalians, in 2012, international forces started patrolling the Gulf of Aden where most attacks were launched. This tremendously made it difficult for Somalian pirates to attack ships. In Indonesia, sea piracy was drastically reduced due to increased cooperation and information sharing between the Indonesian Marine Police and IMB Piracy Reporting Centre on patrols in high-risk areas.

Like the case of Indonesia, the collaboration between Nigeria and IMB Piracy Reporting Centre contributed to the reported reduction in sea piracy in the first quarter of 2019 when compared to 2018. However, this collaboration should be strengthened to curb further the menace of sea piracy that continue to contribute to Nigeria’s many security and socio-economic woes. As suggested by the International Chambers of Commerce, vessel owners have a vital role to play by reporting incidents to IMB Piracy Reporting Centre and coastal authorities for quicker responses to be organised. It also emphasises the importance of transparency, communication and coordination between vessels and coastal management, citing the success recorded in the first quarter of 2019 as an outcome of such collaboration.

Relevant security agencies must improve operations around the nation’s water bodies. As the insecurity evolves, there is a need to brainstorm new methods to manage the situation. The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) suggests the digitalisation of regulatory efforts in the hotspots. ISS further holds that deployment of technology in activities will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of port operations while increasing security and resilience against drug traffickers. Improvements in the method of regulation around the ports can help to monitor the inflow of persons and materials into the country. It will also reduce the economic losses to smugglers that evade tax and other regulations on international trade.