Collaboration
By Diana Omueza
Abuja, March 26, 2026 (NAN) The Federal Government has called for strengthened collaboration with the European Union (EU) to combat illegal fishing, maritime crimes, trafficking, and emerging environmental crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.
Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy said this on Thursday in Abuja
Oyetola spoke when he received a delegation from the European Union Evaluation Mission on the Gulf of Guinea Inter-regional Network (GoGIN II) Project.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation is in Nigeria as part of an independent assessment of the EU-funded initiative which supports maritime coordination and information sharing across the Gulf of Guinea.
The minister said that evolving security challenges in the region required a broader, more integrated and sustained response anchored on strong international partnerships.
“Nigeria remains committed to the Yaoundé Architecture for maritime security, because it as a vital platform for regional cooperation, collective response and intelligence exchange.
“The EU-backed interventions, such as GoGIN II, have played an important role in enhancing maritime domain awareness and facilitating closer collaboration among national and regional agencies.
“We acknowledge the impact of the YARIS information-sharing system in improving coordination among maritime stakeholders.
“We understand the importance of improving interoperability between regional centres and national institutions, alongside continued capacity building and technical support,” he said.
Oyetola cited the success of the Deep Blue Project, which had contributed to a significant reduction in piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea in recent years.
He said the progress recorded demonstrated the effectiveness of combining national ownership with regional and international support.
He urged stakeholders to focus on consolidating its achievements and ensuring long-term sustainability through stronger regional ownership mechanisms as the GoGIN II programme nears completion.
The minister stressed the need to sustain and optimise its operational use.
According to him, maintaining the gains recorded will be critical to securing the maritime domain and supporting economic activities across the Gulf of Guinea.
Ms Stéphanie Vergniault, leader of the EU delegation, said that the evaluation of the independent assessment of the EU-funded project sought to assess the programme’s performance, operational results and sustainability.
Vergniault identified lessons that could shape future maritime security initiatives.
She said that the mission, which had Captain Alioune Diop as a member, was engaging key stakeholders in Nigeria to gather operational feedback on the use of the YARIS platform.
