By Folarin Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared that piracy had been eliminated in Nigerian waters, attributing the achievement to sustained investments in maritime security infrastructure under the Federal Government’s Deep Blue Project.
Speaking at the High-Level Roundtable on Maritime Sovereignty and Ocean Governance during the Africa Forward Summit 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, the President said Nigeria had recorded significant success in combating maritime crimes and improving security across the Gulf of Guinea.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Dr. Bolaji Akinola, Tinubu said the global maritime community has acknowledged the disappearance of piracy incidents within Nigeria’s territorial waters as well as the sharp decline in attacks across the region.
“The global maritime community has acknowledged the elimination of piracy incidents within Nigerian waters and the substantial reduction of attacks across the Gulf of Guinea,” Tinubu stated.
The President explained that the Deep Blue Project deployed an integrated network of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, including command-and-control centres, special mission vessels, fast intervention boats and aerial platforms.
Tinubu said Nigeria’s maritime strategy had shifted from merely responding to threats to creating economic opportunities through safer and more secure waterways.
He stressed that maritime security remained critical to unlocking Africa’s blue economy potential, noting that secure sea lanes and predictable regulations were necessary to attract private investment into the sector.
“For too long, ‘sea blindness’ has meant that we have looked upon the vast waters under our jurisdiction as voids, or simply as sources of threat.
“Nigeria is here to tell a different story: our maritime domain is a sovereign territory, and its governance must be asserted, resourced, and institutionalised,” the President said.
The President also called for stronger regional collaboration among Gulf of Guinea nations, warning that maritime crimes could not be effectively tackled by countries acting independently.
He further highlighted the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as part of efforts to strengthen ocean governance and position the sector as a major driver of economic growth.
“As we endorse the Nairobi Declaration, Nigeria affirms that maritime sovereignty and ocean governance are the non-negotiable foundations of Africa’s Blue Economy transformation,” he added.
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