Far from France, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has suggested that the African Union establish a joint maritime task force to enhance security in the Gulf of Guinea, proposing Lagos as the base for this new force.
This proposal was put forward by President Tinubu during the 38th AU Summit in Addis Ababa.
The mission of this joint maritime security force would be to ensure safety off the West African coast, an area also known as the Gulf of Guinea.
The initiative aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to providing strategic maritime transport services for AU operations, including peace support, disaster response, and humanitarian missions.
Far from France, Bola Tinubu also praised the transformation of Nigeria’s counterterrorism center into a regional hub and the renewal of the mandate for the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
At the same time, Nigeria has signed an agreement with the AU, committing the Nigerian Navy to provide vessels for peacekeeping operations, disaster relief interventions, humanitarian aid, and transport services.
The costs of these operations are expected to be covered by the AU under the terms of the agreement.
According to African media sources, this is not the first time Nigeria has proposed creating a maritime force to secure the Gulf of Guinea.
Last year, President Bola Tinubu sought the support of the Economic Community of Central and West African States for this initiative.
