Emmanuel Koomson

Editor’s note: As we celebrate World Oceans Day 2021 under the theme “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods”, this policy brief addresses concerns of illegal activities and malpractices within the fisheries sector and their effects on the welfare and livelihoods of coastal communities, specifically in the Gulf of Guinea region. In furtherance of our commitment to […]

OVERVIEW OF 2020 INCIDENTS Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, in 2020, revealed a continuity from previous years as well as new and emerging trends, particularly regarding the modus operandi of Pirate Action Groups (PAGs). In terms of absolute numbers, the statistics show an almost perfect hyperbola in actual incidents at sea when the years […]

INTRODUCTION Gulf of Guinea (GoG) piracy remains a great concern to the global community asincidents and attacks have continued to soar over the last decade. Although the scale of acts of piracy and maritime criminality generally vary from time to time – in response to states’ actions and the behaviour of the maritime industry to […]

Editor’s Note: On 25th July 2015, two historic events took place at the Headquarters of the Africa Union. The first was the launch of the Decade of African Seas and Oceans (2015-2025). The second was the lunch of the African Day of the Seas and Oceans, which is to be celebrated each year on 25 […]

On 31st August, 2016, news about the economic recession of one of Africa’s largest economies flooded hundreds of media outlets. BBC Business news reported: Nigeria has slipped into recession, with the latest growth figures showing the economy contracted by 2.06% between April and June. While news about Nigeria’s recession disseminated all around the world, the […]

In my most recent publication, I argue that the Gulf of Guinea presents a convolution of opportunities and challenges to the international community. The reasons are apparent in number of paradoxes. While the exploitation of the Gulf’s oil and gas resources can lead to immense socio-economic gains, the resultant gaping governance challenges may far outweigh […]

Causal interface(s) has resulted in an intricate web of interactions and deepening nexus between maritime security and core societal interests such as food security, resource conflict, development, national and regional peace and security. Strategic Context With over 70% of the Earth’s surface covered by water, over 90% of global trade transported by sea and 60% […]

Incidents and Trends in the Gulf of Guinea Gulf of Guinea piracy remains a threat to the safety and security of the maritime global commons, even in the face of the adoption, with wide international support, of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct by regional States in 2013. Significantly, at the close of 2013 the Gulf […]

The United Nations General Assembly in 2008 decided that the 8th of June every year should designated as “World Oceans Day”. Today, the world celebrates World’s Oceans Day as a reminder of the all-pervasive importance of the oceans to human existence. The global theme for this year’s celebration is “Our Oceans, Our Future” – a […]