Ending Maritime Piracy

The Gulf of Guinea is the global epicentre of maritime piracy, with Nigeria as the main source of piracy in the region. However, an October 2021 report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) showed a significant global decline in maritime piracy and armed robbery incidents since 1994, with 68 incidents in 2021, down from 98 in 2020. Nevertheless, the Gulf of Guinea remains dangerous for seafarers accounting for 32 percent of all reported incidents.

Nigeria has seen a decline in maritime piracy, with only four incidents recorded in the first nine months of 2021, compared to 17 in 2020. Nextier SPD data shows that only one crew member was kidnapped in Q3 2021, compared to 31 crew members taken in five separate incidents during Q3 2020.

Guinea remain perilous as over 80 percent of attackers are armed and well organised. These criminal groups in Nigeria\’s Niger Delta region have moved their theatre of operations away from the open seas to the country’s inner waterways. The IMB reports that all incidents in Q3 2021 were against vessels at port anchorages, whilst the average successful kidnapping location in Q3 2020 was approximately 100 nautical miles from land. While the decrease in the number of reported sea attacks in the Gulf of Guinea is a welcome development, any residual threats continue to impact Nigeria’s economic prospects. In July 2021, President Buhari stated that Nigeria loses about $26.3 billion annually to various forms of criminality, particularly piracy and sea robbery.

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