Nigeria Seeks Establishment of Task Force for Gulf of Guinea

Nigeria has called on the Africa Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to prioritise the establishment of a combined maritime task force to enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

It rejected the proposal to create a new department out of the existing Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security.

Meanwhile, Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) champion and former president of the Republic of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, has commended President Bola Tinubu and Nigeria for taking steps towards the agreement’s implementation, including organising a roundtable highlighting the AfCFTA Protocol.

At the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday, Tinubu expressed Nigeria’s readiness to host the task force’s headquarters in Lagos.

Tinubu conveyed Nigeria’s position as the AU considered the report on the AUPSC, focusing on peace and security in Africa, and the biennial report on the implementation of the Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa (2023-2024).

The statement was delivered on behalf of Tinubu by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.

“The time has come for the AUPSC to prioritise the creation of a Combined Maritime Task Force for the Gulf of Guinea. I wish to announce that Nigeria would like to host the headquarters of the task force in Lagos,” he said.

Nigeria’s recommendation of a maritime task force comes on the same day it signed an agreement with the AU to provide Strategic Sea Lift Services for AU peace support operations, natural disaster support, humanitarian actions and personnel movement.

Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, signed the agreement, under which the Navy will provide a vessel for the operations on a cost-recovery basis.

Attorney-General and Justice Minister, Lateef Fagbemi; Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla; and Director-General of the Nigerian Intelligence Agency (NIA), Muhammed Muhammed witnessed the signing.

AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, signed for the AU.

Tinubu expressed satisfaction that the AUPSC had already adopted the outcomes of a high–level meeting, including the decision to upgrade the Nigerian National Counter-Terrorism Centre to a Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre.

He also appreciated the Peace and Security Council’s decision to renew the mandate of the Multinational Joint Taskforce, addressing the twin challenges of terrorism and violent extremism in the Lake Chad Region.

THE Federal Government also backed the move to reform AU, making the continental body more vibrant, viable and relevant to the needs of member states in the face of rapidly changing global political and economic realities.

Tinubu, whose statement was delivered by Tuggar, during the consideration and deliberation on the AU reforms report, commended his Rwandan and Kenyan counterparts, Paul Kagame and Williams Ruto, for the reform proposals.

He acknowledged the recommendations outlined in the draft decision on the AU reform and said the Federal Government supported the proposal to establish a Heads of State and Government oversight Committee for the AU Reforms under President Ruto’s leadership.

Nigeria also endorsed the proposal that the agenda of the AU Summit feature no more than three strategic items.

“We do not support the proposal to reconfigure the Department of Political Affairs Peace and Security (PAPS), as any reconfiguration suggested will only lead us to incur more needless expenditure.

“We already have a SOD under the Directorate of PAPS. We cannot have a Peace Support Operations Directorate independent of the Directorate of Political Affairs, Peace and Security. We believe any attempt to create another department from the existing one will destabilise the AU political affairs and peace and security process. It is also important that issues that were never brought to the attention of member states are not part of the reform,” Tinubu said.

AT the ongoing AU Assembly in Addis Ababa, Issoufou delivered his yearly report, highlighting key achievements in advancing AfCFTA’s digital trade protocol, with its eight completed annexes, the first of its kind in the world.

The AfCFTA protocols on digital trade and trade in services are important to economic transformation, presenting unparalleled opportunities for Nigeria to elevate its economic profile. The protocols, designed to enhance trade and economic integration across Africa, are particularly significant for Nigeria, as they offer pathways to boost economic competitiveness, accelerate job creation and foster inclusive growth.

Just last month, Nigeria hosted the AfCFTA Secretary-General and convened a roundtable on trade in goods and services, featuring leading Nigerian FinTech innovators such as CcHUB, Norebase, Helium Health, Renda, Vendease and Bamboo. These companies shared their tech-driven business solutions, demonstrating Nigeria’s pioneering role in digital trade expansion across Africa.

Last December during his address in Cape Town, South Africa, Tinubu expressed willingness to collaborate with other African countries on the digital trade agenda for the benefit of all Africans.

This recognition further reinforces Nigeria’s role as a key driver in shaping Africa’s digital economy under the AfCFTA framework.

With the AfCFTA Protocol on digital trade now in place, Nigeria is well-positioned to harness this foundation to unlock even greater opportunities for growth and continental integration.