We work in communities in the Gulf of Guinea. We note that these are mostly coastal communities where environmental threats and impacts of climate extremes are high. The Gulf of Guinea (GoG) waters covers 2.3 million square kilometers (888,000 sq m) and borders more than a dozen countries. Lying across 19 coastal and island states, the GoG coastline, which stretches from the waters off Senegal to the south of Angola, is a treasure trove of rich resources.

It comprises of 26 countries grouped into two Regional Economic Communities (RECs) namely Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS, 11 states with the return of Rwanda) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; 15 states), the GoG countries’ total population is about 472 million, with 160 and 310 million inhabitants for ECCAS and ECOWAS, respectively. Nigeria, as one of the countries in the GoG has a coastline of about 420nautical miles (nm) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 200nm covering about 84,000 square nm of the National Maritime Environment (NME). Also, the nation’s maritime area of interest which includes the entire GoG and is about 574,800 square nautical miles spanning a total coastline of 2,874nm from Senegal to Angola is a huge maritime space rich in numerous hydrocarbon and mineral resources and also serves as a strategic route for maritime trade.

The gulf covers a surface area of 11,755,258 square kilometers, including a coastline of over 6000 kilometres from Senegal to Angola, the GoG countries have an estimated 24 billion barrels of crude oil reserves, that is five per cent of global reserves; five million barrels of crude oil per day; 40 per cent of Europe’s petroleum consumption, and 29 per cent of US petroleum consumption.

Also, the GoG is also the primary conduit of international trade and is central to the economy of the associated regions. It is increasingly looked upon today as resource provider and critical contributor to national growth and prosperity of the several nations lining its coasts and even those landward and with no shared boundaries.

But despite its rich throve of resources, the GoG area face diverse disaster risk threats. It’s more alarming given that the GoG environment is one of the mainstays of the regional economy. These diverse threats of insecurity has over the years been a considerable source of concern as the region’s network of oil and gas installations as well as associated shipping have been threatened by maritime crimes such as piracy, sea robbery, Crude Oil Theft (COT), illegal oil bunkering, smuggling, Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, climate change, ocean plastic congestion, militancy and kidnapping for ransom.