Oyetola Seeks Stronger EU Partnership to Combat Maritime Crimes

Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has called for stronger collaboration with the European Union to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.

Oyetola made the appeal while engaging with European stakeholders, stressing that deeper cooperation is necessary to strengthen maritime security, protect marine resources, and safeguard regional economies.

He noted that IUU fishing remains a major threat to Nigeria and other coastal states, contributing to economic losses, environmental degradation, and insecurity within the maritime domain. The minister emphasized that such illegal activities are often linked to broader transnational crimes, including smuggling and piracy.

The minister called for enhanced intelligence sharing, improved surveillance systems, and joint enforcement operations between Nigeria and EU partners to effectively combat these challenges.

By Oshuniran Sheriff Ola