GoG-MCF/SHADE 5th Plenary Holds at Abuja themed ” Enduring & Sustainable Security.

Oru Leonard

As the number of attacks/ kidnapping in the Gulf of Guinea region against merchant vessels became alarming and needed urgent attention, the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) Maritime Collaboration Forum(MCF), Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) Initiative’s existence (GOG- MCF/SHADE).

SHADE is the GOG collaboration forum established by NIgeria and 22 countries of the Inter regional Coordination Centres (ICC) Yaoundé in July 2021 to implement more effective operative operational counter priacy cooperation between regional and international navies,as well as the Shipping Industry.

Building on the several meetings that have been held at various times since December 2020, to stem the high level of crime in the GOG, Nigeria called for more action to achieve the legal framework to enable the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) Initiative’s existence.

In his remarks at the 5th Plenary with the theme “Enduring and Sustainable Security”, the Director General, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, noted that more remains to be done in terms of the legal framework to enable the SHADE’s existence and the legal finish needed by more countries for better and seamless transfer agreements and harmonization of laws and the sharing of information.

“Our SHADE must be strengthened through cooperation, coordination, collaboration and communication. Security success can never be solitary achievements”, he said. “There must be cooperation between regional navies like we saw recently between Nigeria and Benin; coordination between local and international interests such as the one that led to the formation of the NIMASA Joint Industry Working Group; collaboration at the regional level as provided by the SHADE; and constant communication with the IMO about our efforts and progress opens the door of necessary support for our work.

“We are all contributors to the success we are currently experiencing in the area of maritime security. Whilst I am extremely happy, as a Nigerian, to host this event today — this is the region’s forum. We have built a home, and all have the key to the front door — this is the place to share mutual maritime concerns, jointly face the threat and together create the mitigations”, he stated.

Jamoh said that Nigeria, through NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy, stands ready as co-chair of the SHADE to continue to provide every necessary support in collaboration with the ICC and all of its partners who are stakeholders in this vital regional experiment, to ensure they nurture this baby through its early teething challenges till the SHADE matures with results they can all be proud of within the region, noting that this will require commitment.

Dr Paul Adalikwu, Secretary General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), commended ICC and said that his organisation putting a lot in place to create an enabling environment for the Maritime stakeholders within his region.

In his keynote address, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, who was represented by Rear Admiral Saidu Suleiman Garba, Chief of Policy and Plans, called for sustained collective collaborative effort by relevant stakeholders, adding that their collective efforts have resulted in a steep decline in the reported cases of piracy within the GoG, especially in the last three quarters of 2021.

“It is gladdening to note that in 2022, only one case of pirate’s attack has been recorded till now. On the part of the Nigerian Navy, the successes recorded were largely due to its ongoing efforts towards building institutional capacity in reinforcing capabilities for maritime governance”, he said.

Furthermore, he called on all stakeholders to consider greater collaboration and commitments in the fight against piracy and armed robbery within the GoG region, stating also, that the safety and security of shipping in the GoG is a vital enabler in the recovery process of global economy and trade suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.