President Muhammadu Buhari has restated Nigeria’s commitment to combat crimes such as piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea.
Speaking at the National Conference on Organised Crimes in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, President Buhari said his administration is committed to curbing all unlawful acts against any ship legally operating in the region.
He cited the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act, 2019 (SPOMO Act) as evidence of the government’s efforts. He also noted that the Deep Blue Project, launched in June 2021, had invested $195 million in security boats, vehicles, and aircraft.
During the conference, stakeholders urged the president to issue 18 modular refinery licenses, already approved for six states, before leaving office.
They also called for the establishment of a “Taskforce Against Organised Crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea” in conjunction with the country’s counterparts in the region.
In addition, Fyneface Dumnamene, Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), called on the government to provide alternative livelihood opportunities for those displaced by the war against artisanal refining, instead of giving pipeline surveillance contracts.
Dumnamene also urged the establishment of the Presidential Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Development Initiative (PACORDI) for illegal artisanal refiners in the Niger Delta.
President Buhari acknowledged Nigeria’s stabilizing role in the West African sub-region and the African continent as a whole, stressing that peace and stability were essential to security and prosperity in Africa.
He received a message from President Ibrahim Ghali of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, delivered by the country’s Special Envoy, Mohammed Saleh, at the State House.
The Special Envoy expressed his country’s sadness at President Buhari leaving office and urged him to continue to maintain relevance in the affairs of the Sahrawi Republic and the entire continent.
President Buhari accepted the invitation to participate in the inaugural events ushering in the new Nigerian President in May.