Why Gulf Of Guinea Accounts For 95% Of Global Kidnappings At Sea – NIMASA Boss

• Peterside noted that the reason why the Gulf has become the most dangerous in the world is because it accounts for 60 percent of Africa crude oil production, five percent of global fossil oil reserve, 2.7 percent of fossil natural gas reserve globally, among many other advantages.

Former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside has lamented that the illegal and unreported activities carried out at the Gulf of Guinea has made global bodies marked the Gulf as the most dangerous waterways in the world.

According to him, the Gulf of Guinea accounts for 95% global kidnappings at sea.

The Gulf of Guinea is the name given to the north-eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean which stretches from Guinea down to Angola in the south. The Basin Countries of the Gulf include Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola.

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The former NIMASA boss, who presented a paper titled, ‘Security in the Gulf of Guinea’ at an event organized in Benin on Friday, said the unique ecosystem in the Gulf of Guinea has attracted global attention and its attendance danger in the waterways.

Peterside noted that the reason why the Gulf has become the most dangerous in the world is because it accounts for 60 percent of Africa crude oil production, five percent of global fossil oil reserve, 2.7 percent of fossil natural gas reserve globally, among many other advantages.

He said, “Both the United Nations office of drugs and crimes, the International Maritime Bureau, and the International Maritime Organizations classified the Gulf of Guinea as one of the most dangerous maritime areas in the world, at least this was the case in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

“For many reasons, the Gulf of Guinea is a place of interest Internationally. It is a place of interest to those who are into shipping and fishing. So for diverse reasons, the ecosystem of the Gulf of Guinea is unique. It is the second or third largest in the world.”

Giving account of some of the dangerous activities carried out in the Gulf, Peterside said, “The Gulf of Guinea accounts for 95 per cent global kidnappings at sea. As of 2019, we had 111 cases of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, while piracy is also rampant there with 120,000 barrels of crude oil stolen daily as at 2020.”