Vice President Kashim Shettima has stressed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the peace, security and stability of the Gulf of Guinea, particularly ongoing reforms in the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC).
He particularly noted Nigeria’s commitment to regional cooperation and to the African Union’s 2050 Integrated Maritime Strategy.
The Vice President stated this on Tuesday, when he received in audience the Executive Secretary of GGC, Mr Jose Mba Abeso, and his team at the State House, Abuja.
“On behalf of President Bola Tinubu, I reaffirm Nigeria’s strong commitment to the objectives of the GGC. Nobody can undermine the role of the Commission in fostering cooperation, peace, and sustainable development in the Gulf of Guinea,” he noted.
Shettima also stated, “As Africa’s most populous nation and unarguably the largest economy, we have interests to protect, promote, project, and preserve in the Gulf of Guinea. Be reassured that some of the issues you have raised, the President will give them the desired attention. We want the Gulf of Guinea to function effectively.”
He commended the management of the GGC, assuring it of Nigeria’s “unalloyed commitment to the ideals and objectives of the commission.”
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of GGC, Mr Jose Abeso, solicited Nigeria’s support for the commission’s reform programmes aimed at expanding its membership to include all the 19 coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea, and improving peace and security in the region.
He also spoke about the need for stakeholders in the region to jointly engage insurance companies in reviewing the high premium paid for the movement of goods in the Gulf of Guinea.
Commending Nigeria’s leading role in the establishment of the Combined Maritime Taskforce in the region, Abeso sought President Tinubu’s support in rallying other political leaders in the region to operationalise the force.
Deji Elumoye
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