Taming the Tide of Maritime Piracy in Nigeria's Territorial Waters

Abstract

: The rising spate of piracy in Nigeria's territorial waters has become a burden on the economic development of the country. It has adversely affected the exportation of crude oil, which is the mainstay of the country's economy. Pirates target and hijack vessels carrying oil and gas, thus reducing the revenue accruable to the country from selling these resources. Piracy also affects the fishing industry which is another source of revenue to the country. Nigeria, as an import dependent country, relies on the importation of finished goods, and this is seriously affected by piracy. This study briefly examines the root causes of piracy in Nigeria. Further, the study interrogates the effects of piracy, identifies the challenges in the suppression of the crime and proffers suggestions toward suppressing the crime in the country. Against this backdrop, the study argues, among other things, that an expansive definition of piracy is key in the fight against this maritime crime in Nigeria, because the present legal regime is restrictive and limited in scope, thus, it does not reflect the modern piratical acts. More importantly, Nigeria must criminalise piracy in its domestic law in other to police its territorial waters, capture and prosecute pirates in its local courts.

Potential threats the rise of China's economic and military power in the Asia Pacific region

“…Most local traders in Java and Jakarta state that these Chinese products threaten the economy and local goods because the price of Chinese goods is much cheaper. For example, for the same price of a pair of shoes made in Indonesia, users can get five pairs of shoes made in China (Anele, 2021). As such, local traders admit that ACFTA needs to be abolished to revive local businesses and industries, especially the textile and clothing industry so that they can continue to thrive.…”

The Economic Impact of Maritime Piracy in the Gulf of Aden: challenges and implications

“…Notwithstanding UNCLOS definition, the IMB defines piracy as: "An act of boarding (or attempted boarding) with the intent to commit theft or any other crime and with the intent or capability to use force in furtherance of that ac 1) When a piracy attack takes place, several direct and indirect costs arise among very different stakeholders. In fact, individuals alike organizations can be financially affected when a merchant ship is hijacked.…”

“…al., 2012). The multi-facet implications that a maritime security incident can cause are several and include repercussions in legal, economical social and political areas (Anele, 2015: Jeong, 2012. For this reasons, the paper aims at investigating these implications through a cost-benefit analysis and proposing some more cost effective solutions to be considered by the International community to address properly the issue of piracy.…”