Stakeholders in the Maritime sector have called for stronger implementation of maritime security policies through improved domain awareness, coordination and regional integration to achieve zero piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
The stakeholders made the call on Wednesday at the 11th edition of the three-day Lagos International Maritime Week (LIMWEEK) in Lagos.
The moderator, Florentina Ukonga, tasked panelists with summarieing in one sentence the key operational bottleneck currently affecting Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Ukonga expressed concern over the absence of representatives of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), saying the participation of critical agencies was necessary for meaningful discussions on efficiency and automation.
She said Nigeria’s future was closely linked to the sea, stressing that policies would remain ineffective if not translated into practical action.
Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff, said quality and innovation should drive the maritime ecosystem, with policy providing direction and innovation shaping implementation.
Abbas, who was represented by Rear Adm. Daniel Atapa, said maritime domain awareness systems should be converted into real-time action without creating additional regulatory delays in vessel turnaround and cargo clearance.
He said command, control, communication and computer systems were being used to monitor vessel movements, ensure compliance and facilitate timely departure from Nigerian waters.
Abbas called for adequate policies to ensure compliance by vessels on arrival and departure while reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks in the Gulf of Guinea.
Ms Esther Oibo, Managing Director of Fleetfence Ltd. and Publicity Secretary of the Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN), identified fragmented governance and poor data sharing as major challenges affecting maritime operations.
Oibo also called for manual backup systems during the transition to digital operations, warning that excessive reliance on technology without continuity plans could disrupt operations.
She said MASPAN was training its members and promoting corporate governance to strengthen trust and collaboration between security providers and regulators.
Oibo advocated regular engagement between private operators and government agencies, saying feedback was essential for improving policies and their implementation.
The Executive Secretary, Gulf of Guinea Commission, Mr Jose Mba-Abeso, said regional integration was crucial to effectively securing the waters of West and Central Africa.
Mba-Abeso advocated a single maritime window for the region to harmonise operations, reduce duplication and address language barriers among member states.
He said the commission was working with an expert committee to develop the regional solution before the end of his tenure in late 2027.
Mba-Abeso said individual national efforts were limiting progress, stressing that collective action was necessary to tackle piracy and other illegal maritime activities.
The Co-Founder of AA Secure Platforms Ltd., Ms Bilikis Lawal-Akinbola, identified human capacity as the biggest challenge to automation and modern maritime security.
Lawal-Akinbola called for collaborative training with international partners and mandatory cadetship programmes to develop a steady pipeline of professionals in ship repair and maritime technology.
She urged stakeholders to adopt “co-opetition” — collaborating instead of competing — to increase capacity and strengthen the sector.
Lawal-Akinbola also said governance would improve when regulators listened to operators, adding that continuous dialogue would strengthen security and compliance in the Gulf of Guinea.