Business
Gulf of Guinea: Report urges FG to enlist private security companies to fight piracy
A maritime intelligence company has urged Nigeria to enlist the support of private companies to tackle rampant piracy in its waters.
A report by maritime research agency, Dryad Global has urged the Federal Government to enlist the services of private security contractors in the fight against piracy which has seen the Gulf of Guinea as the most unsafe shipping route in the world.
The report was composed by Dryad Global and disclosed in a report by Bloomberg on Wednesday Morning. It added that the FG should adopt a space for 3rd-Party security providers in the fight against piracy.
“Seafarers’ lives are at risk from ever-increasing violent attacks and Nigerian pirates are operating with increased impunity.
“Nigeria must strike a balance between restrictions for the sake of national security and creating space for third-party security providers to complement the Nigerian navy’s security activities in support of commercial operations,” the report stated.
READ: Nigeria is now the piracy capital of the world
Nigeria’s waters are in the center of the Gulf of Guinea, a vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean stretching from Senegal to Angola that is the source of ever-greater anxiety for shipowners, operators and their crews.
According to Bloomberg, last year, the region accounted for 95% of the 135 seafarers seized worldwide in 22 separate incidents, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
The report criticized FG’s effort in criminalizing and punishing piracy actors stating the “government appears more focused on holding the commercial balance of power over third-party security providers than combating piracy,”
READ: U.S Government hands over equipment to Nigerian Navy to combats threats in Gulf of Guinea
What you should know
- West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea recorded an unprecedented increase in piracy attacks in 2020, according to the International Maritime Bureau in its 2020 Annual Piracy report published on Wednesday.
- The IMB reported that 135 crew members were kidnapped from their vessels in 2020, with the Gulf of Guinea accounting for over 95% kidnapped. A record of 130 crew members were kidnapped in 22 separate incidents.
- Maersk, the world’s largest shipping company, has also called for military intervention in the piracy problem in the Gulf of Guinea.
Business
Lagos State seeks investors in aquatic and livestock agriculture value chain
The Commissioner revealed that the scheme was in line with the State’s five-year strategic agriculture roadmap.
The Lagos State Government announced it is seeking private sector collaboration for Agriculture sector value chain development in livestock feed mills, fisheries and red meat.
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.
The Commissioner revealed that the scheme was in line with the State’s five-year strategic agriculture roadmap, as the State identified the 3 main sectors for value chain disruption.
READ: Lagos goes tough on illegal conversion of land use, enforcement begins in Ikeja GRA, Lekki, others
She also added that investment in the sectors would also develop jobs for the industry and boost the State’s GDP growth, through Private Sector collaboration as Lagos residents consume over N5 trillion worth of food annually.
“The objective is to stimulate and encourage more public-private partnerships in the three value chains,” she said.
“When you consider this pool of transactions happening in Lagos, it shows that we are the market. For instance, we demand over 400,000 metric tons of fish on an annual basis.
“But our fishermen and our aquaculture farmers are only able to produce just about 174,000 metric tons with deficit of 200,000 metric tons,” she added.
READ: CBN invests over N120 billion on 320,000 farmers across CTG within four years
She also disclosed that the state has 9,000 artisanal fishermen, and bringing more youths into the space will increase the level of fish and seafood being harnessed from our water bodies. Looking at the transactional value on an annual basis, the fisheries sector is worth well over N120billion according to her.
In case you missed it: Nigeria exported agricultural products worth N321.5 billion in 2020, representing a 19.16% increase when compared to N269.8 billion recorded in 2019 and a 6.27% increase compared to N302.28 billion recorded in 2018.
Business
#DigitalSkillsTraining: FG announces conclusion of selection process
Only successful applicants that are contacted by the Ministry are to report at the training venue.
