Policing the Gulf of Guinea: Nigeria, Denmark and Maritime Security

When small countries like Denmark provide security in the Gulf of Guinea, what does that say about Nigeria’s image as Africa’s giant?

by Dakuku Peterside, former head of NIMASA

The problem of piracy and maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea seem not to have received the attention it deserves. The region is the hotbed of these crimes, and nowhere else in the world do pirates strike more often than in the Gulf of Guinea.

Last week, something with significant but far-reaching diplomatic implications happened in security circles, particularly in the maritime security sphere. Denmark, a tiny European country of 5.3 million people, less than the size and population of Rivers State in Nigeria, resolved to send a frigate to patrol and police the waters of the Gulf of Guinea. The decision followed the call for a more assertive response to the embarrassing high level of sea crimes, piracy and kidnapping for ransom taking place in the region, for which international perception puts Nigeria at the centre.

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Source: premiumtimesng.com

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