...As MLAIPKC hosts maiden anti-piracy & maritime crime course in Lagos
The UNDP Team Lead, Governance, Peace & Security, Mr Matthew Alao, has called on stakeholders to intensify the fight against piracy, in the Gulf of Guinea Countries, noting that there has been a 50 per cent increase in piracy, and maritime crime recorded in the first nine months of 2023.
Alao disclosed this on Monday, at the inaugural Anti-Piracy and Prevention of Maritime Crimes Course 5/2023 Organized by the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, MLAILPKC, held at the Nigerian Army School of Finance, Apapa, Lagos.
According to him, the two-week training, funded by Japan, and organised in partnership with UNDP and the Nigerian Navy, NN, aimed to reinforce synergies and partnership amongst GoG countries to combat piracy and maritime crimes; promote international trade; and ensure the economic stability of the GoG Member States and their coastal communities.
His words: "I am glad to present this remark today in yet another milestone being attained by the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre (MLAILPKC), Kaduna in building the capacities of selected Officers and men of the military and para-military forces, as well as civilians alike drawn from Gulf of Guinea (GoG) Countries. The feat could have been nearly impossible without the collaboration of like-minded partners in the maritime industry, such as the Nigerian Navy (NN). It is also notable that the course is taking place in Lagos, the Headquarters of maritime activities in Nigeria.
"It is noteworthy that MLAILPKC has persisted in strengthening its capacity to run courses in anti-piracy since it was commissioned by UNDP and the Government of Japan in 2021 to undertake the assignment. This course being inaugurated this morning is the fifth course conducted by the Centre since 2021.
Speaking on the reason for the course, he noted that: "The spate of piracy and maritime crimes in GoG is still of grave concern as the steady reduction in the menace experienced between 2021 and 2022 has been wiped off by an upward push of about 50 per cent in the piracy and maritime crimes recorded in the first nine months of 2023 vis-à-vis the corresponding period in 2022. This astronomical increase in the piracy and maritime crimes reported by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) of the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) in GoG is a wakeup call to all maritime actors to step up efforts at combating piracy and all forms of crimes and criminalities in GoG coastal areas. This course is, therefore, timely and will complement the resilient interventions of other players in the GoG region. "
Explaining the reason for Japan's funding of the project, the UNDP Team Lead, Governance, Peace & Security, noted that: "This intervention is a part of Japan funded project which aims to complement global, regional and national authorities' visions and efforts at combating the menace of pirates and other maritime crimes in GoG region. It will strengthen the skills and knowledge of the participants on anti-piracy and prevention of maritime crimes.
"It will equally consolidate on the gains of the past four anti-piracy courses conducted by MLAILPKC in collaboration with partners from the GoG Countries. The intervention will reinforce synergies and partnerships amongst GoG countries to combat piracy and maritime crimes; promote international trade; and ensure the economic stability of the GoG Member States and their coastal communities. "
Meanwhile, in his address, the Chief of Training, Army Headquarters, Maj Gen. Sanni Mohammed, reiterated that creating a safe maritime environment was a necessity for governments of the Gulf of Guinea.
According to him: "The maritime sector has always played an important role in the economy of governments of the Gulf of Guinea, GoG, and enormous trans-shipping and fishing activities take place in this sector with huge developmental impacts on their national economies. However, the maritime sector is challenged by crimes such as piracy, which means that creating a safe maritime environment will remain an area of special interest for various governments along the GoG. In this regard, we applaud the effort of the Government of Japan and the UNDP in providing support for the conduct of this course on Anti-Piracy in the GoG. This is a show of faith in Nigeria and a clear acknowledgement of the confidence they have in the capacity of Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, to deliver the course."
Earlier on, in his opening remark, the Commandant, the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, MLAILPKC, Brig. Gen. Obinna Onubogu, who thanked the sponsors and partners, Japan, UNDP, the Nigerian Navy, and Nigerian Army School of Finance and Administration, NASFA, for the training, tasked participants with the expectations of the anti-piracy course.
Onubogu stated that: "The Maritime Sector has continued to play great economic and developmental role in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) and the world at large. These roles are however challenged by a series of Maritime Transnational Organized Crimes (TOCs) such as Piracy, Human Trafficking/Smuggling, Terrorism at Sea, Money Laundering, Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), and Illegal Bunkering amongst others.
"The UN as a vanguard for global peace and security has always supported efforts that seek to tackle these maritime crimes and as a UN Centre of Excellence, MLAILPKC is always keen to build capacity among West African military and civilian stakeholders towards curbing maritime crimes.
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"As a Centre, we are happy to have identified national and institutional partners like the Government of Japan and the UNDP with whom we have entered into a collaborative effort to deliver this laudable course which focuses on Anti-Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG). The Course objective is to build the capacity of participants on cross-cutting issues related to piracy in the GoG as well as the mitigating factors to improve national and regional security. Participants should be rest assured that over the next 2 weeks, they will gain the required knowledge on how to mitigate the contemporary challenges posed by maritime transnational organized crimes in the GoG. The training will be intensive and realistic because a lot of hands-on practical training has been added to the programme.
"To the participants, at the end of this course, we expect that you will have acquired such knowledge that would enable you to impact the actions and activities in your various countries, organizations, and agencies whenever you are called upon. So, I enjoin you, to give a good account of yourselves and also be good ambassadors of your respective countries. We expect you all to apply yourselves during the course, ask questions from your facilitators, and generate your ideas about issues related to maritime crimes, especially anti-piracy. As you study and gain knowledge, we shall also have the opportunity for social activities to enable you to unwind as much as possible.
