Abuja, Nigeria – President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to Accra on Tuesday, April 25, to attend the 3rd Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC), which has been convened by Ghana’s President Nana Akuffo-Ado.
The President will participate in a high-level discussion on strategies for strengthening peace and security in the fight against maritime-related crimes in the region. As the immediate past Chair of the Assembly, President Buhari had championed collective efforts by Member States of the region, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC), and their partners to address and prevent piracy.
In June 2019, Nigeria’s National Assembly passed the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act, 2019 (POMO Act), which aims to prevent and suppress piracy, armed robbery, and other unlawful acts against ships.
The President will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen Babagana Monguno (Rtd), the Director General, National Intelligence Agency, (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, and other government officials.
The meeting is expected to provide a platform for leaders to discuss the increasing incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea and to identify solutions to improve maritime security in the region.
Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), confirmed the President’s travel plans in a statement released on April 24, 2023.
