Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for sustained support from the European Union (EU) to combat illegal fishing and other maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.
Oyetola made the call on Thursday in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the EU Evaluation Mission on the Gulf of Guinea Inter-regional Network (GoGIN II) Project.
He stressed that evolving maritime threats, including illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, trafficking and environmental crimes, require deeper and more consistent international collaboration.
“The evolving security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea demand a broader, more integrated and sustained response anchored on strong international partnerships,” Oyetola said.
The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Yaoundé Architecture for Maritime Security, describing it as a critical framework for regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and coordinated response. He noted that EU-backed initiatives such as GoGIN II have significantly strengthened maritime domain awareness and inter-agency collaboration across the region.
Highlighting the role of technology, Oyetola pointed to the YARIS information-sharing platform as instrumental in improving coordination among maritime stakeholders. However, he emphasised the need to optimise its use, improve interoperability between regional and national institutions, and sustain capacity building efforts.
He also referenced Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project, which he said has contributed to a notable decline in piracy and armed robbery at sea in recent years. According to him, the progress underscores the importance of combining national initiatives with regional and international support.
“As the GoGIN II programme approaches completion, there is a need to consolidate its achievements and ensure long-term sustainability through stronger regional ownership,” he added.
The leader of the EU delegation, Stéphanie Vergniault, said the mission was in Nigeria to conduct an independent evaluation of the GoGIN II project. She explained that the assessment would examine the programme’s performance, operational outcomes and sustainability, while drawing lessons for future maritime security interventions.
Vergniault noted that the team is engaging key stakeholders to gather feedback on the effectiveness of the YARIS platform, its contribution to coordination under the Yaoundé Architecture, and the broader challenges facing the maritime sector in the Gulf of Guinea.
