Nigeria’s coastal waterways face an escalating security crisis that threatens both lives and livelihoods, prompting urgent calls for the Nigerian Navy to strengthen its protective operations across the maritime domain. Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr, representing Cross River southern senatorial district, has issued a direct appeal to naval authorities to mobilize resources and platforms more aggressively against the wave of criminal activities plaguing the South-South region. His intervention comes as maritime stakeholders grapple with kidnappings, armed robberies at sea, crude oil theft, and smuggling operations that continue to undermine national development.
Speaking as chairman of the 9th Public Lecture organized by the Institute of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Calabar, Ekpenyong described the timing of the event as critical given the deteriorating security climate along Nigeria’s extensive coastline. Represented by Professor Uti Egbai, the senator emphasized that maritime insecurity has evolved from a regional nuisance into a national emergency requiring coordinated action. The lecture, themed “Coastal Insecurity and National Development: Addressing Maritime Vulnerabilities in Nigeria,” brought together security experts, academics, and policymakers to examine the multifaceted challenges confronting Africa’s most populous nation as it attempts to secure its maritime borders.
Rear Admiral Mohammed Muye, Commandant of the Naval War College Nigeria and guest lecturer at the event, outlined a comprehensive framework for addressing the maritime security deficit. He stressed that effective solutions demand patience, diplomatic finesse, and genuine collaboration among multiple stakeholders rather than relying solely on military muscle. According to Muye, Nigeria must pursue a coordinated strategy that weaves together security governance with economic development initiatives, including enhanced engagement with coastal communities who often serve as both victims and unwitting accomplices to criminal enterprises. Upgrading the operational capacity of the Nigerian Navy and relevant maritime development agencies remains essential, as does strengthening regional cooperation frameworks within the Gulf of Guinea where transnational criminal networks operate with troubling impunity.
University of Calabar Vice Chancellor Professor Offiong Efanga Offiong reinforced the message that coastal insecurity cannot be defeated through isolated efforts or piecemeal interventions. Represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Linkages and Collaborations Professor Anthony Eneji, Offiong called for full partnership among government agencies, private sector actors, and civil society organizations. He noted that public awareness campaigns are equally critical to building the collective will necessary to confront these deeply entrenched criminal operations. Coastal communities themselves often lack basic information about how to report suious activities or protect themselves from exploitation by armed groups who have turned Nigeria’s waterways into zones of lawlessness.
Beyond the immediate security concerns, the economic implications of maritime insecurity cast a long shadow over Nigeria’s development trajectory. Crude oil theft alone costs the nation billions of dollars annually in lost revenue, money that could otherwise fund infrastructure, healthcare, and education across a country where millions live in poverty. International shipping companies increasingly view Nigerian waters as high risk zones, driving up insurance premiums and discouraging the foreign investment that could unlock the potential of the blue economy. Fishing communities find themselves caught between criminal gangs and overstretched security forces, unable to pursue their traditional livelihoods without facing extortion, violence, or worse.
As Nigeria looks toward securing its maritime future, the consensus among experts points toward integrated solutions that combine enhanced naval capabilities with economic opportunities for coastal populations. Promoting blue economy development, as Rear Admiral Muye suggested, offers an alternative pathway that transforms potential recruits for criminal enterprises into stakeholders in legitimate maritime commerce. Whether Nigeria can muster the political will, sustained funding, and interagency coordination required to implement such an ambitious agenda remains the central question. What seems certain is that without decisive action, the waters that should serve as highways for prosperity will continue to function as ungoverned spaces where criminal networks thrive at the expense of national security and development.
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