EU to Partner Bayelsa on Gulf of Guinea Security

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa has expressed the willingness of his State to partner the European Union to ensure security in the Gulf of Guinea.

Playing host to a delegation on maritime security from the European Union in Abuja, Diri said Bayelsa was interested in collaborations that will help it secure its maritime area and harness the resources because the state has the longest coastline in Nigeria.

A statement by the governor’s chief press secretary, Daniel Alabrah, quoted Diri as describing Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation as critical stakeholders in maritime safety, given that the lives of the people depend on their coastal ecosystem.

Diri noted that the state had intervened directly in affected communities where potential maritime criminal activities have their origin through the Community-Based Crime Prevention and Development Intervention strategy.

He said this was the first of its kind put in place by any of Nigeria’s nine coastal states.

The governor added that his administration continued to create the enabling environment for good governance, transparency, and accountability, critical elements in the fight against crime in the maritime environment.

Diri also called on the international community and the federal government to involve states on maritime security issues while assuring that his administration will remain committed to the well-being of Bayelsans, peace, and security.

“We from Bayelsa State and the entire Ijaw nation are critical stakeholders to the whole idea of maritime safety, protection of the maritime ecology, the healthy and sustainable development of the deep blue economy, and preservation of our aquatic, cultural heritage,” added the governor.

Also speaking, Ambassador Boladei Igali called for support and interventions in the region. Earlier, the EU Senior Coordinator for the Gulf of Guinea, Mr. Nicolas Berlanga, said the EU and its partners would work with the government and Bayelsans as long as they provide the needed leadership.

In his remarks, Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Juan Sell, said the meeting with states was because they were conscious that success would not be achieved if the coordinating units were not involved in improving security in the Gulf of Guinea.