The Ghana Navy and the Nigeria Navy have signed a communique to commence security engagement to address maritime security threats on economic activities in the Gulf of Guinea.

Rear Admiral Issa Adam Yakubu, Chief of Ghana Naval Staff, signed for Ghana while Vice Admiral Awwal Z.Gambo, the Chief of Nigeria Naval Staff, signed on behalf of Nigeria.

The ceremony which took place at the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff at the Burma Camp in Accra, was part of the second edition of the International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference, hosted by the Ghana Navy and the Ghana Airforce.

In the Communique, both Navies expressed commitment to adopt their Directors of Operations as focal points for real time sharing of information to enhance the combat of maritime crimes in the region.

Both Navies agreed to collaborate in capacity building of personnel in the area of operating and optimizing available maritime domain awareness infrastructure domiciled in their respective countries.

The Communique encouraged the national government to enact anti-piracy laws to facilitate and harmonize procedures for arrest, detention and prosecution of persons and vessels engaged in piracy and other maritime crimes across the region.

The Communique encouraged both Navies to work together to draw up a standard operative procedure across national maritime boundaries in the region.

The Navies were to liaise with the National Maritime Administrations and Port Authorities for the establishment of transit corridors for safe and secure movement of ships and consider modalities for the establishment of ECOWAS Naval Task Force to combat maritime security threats in the sub-region.

Rear Admiral Yakubu said the Communique was to promote peace, stability and economic prosperity in the sub-region after both Navies held a joint meeting on June 11, 2021 at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja, to discuss the menace of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea.

He said both Navies had a key role to play to combat maritime insecurity and promote safety and security to guarantee unimpeded lawful use of the sea for sustainable development in the sub-region.

Vice Admiral Gambo said it was imperative for both Navies to collaborate and synergise their activities and make maritime security especially in the Gulf of Guinea safe for businesses to thrive, stressing "African problems can be solved by Africans".

He said the engagement would foster greater collaboration, hinged on Cooperative Maritime Security Framework as envisioned in the 2013 Yaoundé Protocol to arrive at strategies to address the maritime insecurity for enhanced economic prosperity in the region.