Maritime Security Governance in the Gulf of Guinea: Opportunities and Challenges of States Responses

This article interrogates the various maritime security governance regimes in the Gulf of Guinea. The paper assessed the opportunities and challenges faced by the States, Regional, and international architecture response initiated to combat various maritime security threats such as Piracy, oil theft, drug trafficking, smuggling, marine pollution, and other forms of sea-bond organised crime experienced in the region. The study revealed that enormous opportunities and vulnerabilities accompany the geostrategic importance of this region. And security governance response by all actors has been impeded by the proliferation and duplication of security regimes, lack of harmonisation of initiatives, lack of State and regional personnel and assets capability, gross distrust among the region’s states, inadequate funding, among other challenges. The article concludes that if these challenges are addressed appropriately, the Gulf of Guinea will maximise its enormous maritime resources and ensure security and sustainable blue economy development for State and Regional prosperity.