Maritime Security and Governance of the South Atlantic: The Nigerian Perspective

Abstract

This chapter deals with maritime security and governance of the South Atlantic, principally from Nigeria’s perspective. The Gulf of Guinea in particular and the wider South Atlantic in general, have recently become a hotbed of piracy and other transnational crimes that impede legitimate maritime activities. Given the nature of transnational crimes and the jurisdictional and organizational complexity for setting up a maritime security operation, the growing range of threats and challenges tend to exceed the capacity of individual states to address them. Therefore, the chapter reassesses the levels of collaboration among the regional stakeholders and the prospects for setting up maritime security governance to tackle the potential threat and challenges, within the overarching framework of ‘South–South cooperation’. It also delineates Nigeria’s continued interest and commitment to promoting bilateral and multilateral initiatives in maritime security cooperation and governance with the goal of enhancing the safety and security of navigation, marine environmental protection as well as ensuring peaceful and cooperative maritime operations in the South Atlantic. Some policy recommendations are presented to broaden its engagements as a way to maintain peaceful stability and maritime security in the South Atlantic.