Nigeria Records Four Years Without Reported Piracy Incidents

Nigeria has recorded four consecutive years without a reported piracy incident in its territorial waters, according to Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.

Abbas disclosed the development on September 22, 2026, at the Naval War College Nigeria in Calabar, Cross River State, where he spoke during the graduation ceremony of participants of Naval Warfare Course 10. He said the decline reflected improvements in maritime security but warned that continued surveillance and cooperation would be necessary to sustain the gains.

The latest statement follows similar reports from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, which said in May and September that Nigeria had maintained four consecutive years without piracy incidents in its waters.

Nigerian Navy highlights four-year piracy-free record

Abbas said Nigeria had maintained zero reported piracy incidents in its waters for four consecutive years, while piracy incidents across the wider Gulf of Guinea had also declined significantly.

He attributed the progress to sustained maritime domain awareness, a credible security presence at sea, regional cooperation and timely responses to maritime threats.

The Navy chief nevertheless called for the security agencies involved in maritime protection to maintain their operational tempo rather than treating the improvement as a permanent end to the threat.

The distinction between reported piracy and all maritime crime is important. Nigeria’s record does not mean that every form of criminal activity at sea or on the country’s waterways has disappeared.

The International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau, for example, continues to classify waters off Nigeria as an area requiring vigilance and warns that some incidents may go unreported. Its guidance identifies past cases involving piracy, armed robbery, crew kidnapping and cargo theft.

Gulf of Guinea piracy has also declined

Nigeria’s progress forms part of a broader reduction in piracy activity in the Gulf of Guinea.

The International Maritime Bureau reported that only two piracy and armed-robbery incidents were recorded across the Gulf of Guinea during the first half of 2026. The organisation credited the efforts of countries bordering the region and their security partners while continuing to warn against complacency.

The decline is significant compared with the region’s earlier period of intense piracy activity.

The IMB recorded 21 incidents across the Gulf of Guinea in 2025, compared with 18 in 2024 and 22 in 2023. The 2025 incidents included four separate cases in which 23 crew members were kidnapped.

The figures show that the regional threat has fallen substantially, although it has not disappeared.

Deep Blue Project remains central to maritime security

Nigeria’s maritime security strategy has relied heavily on cooperation between the Navy, NIMASA and other security agencies.

One of the main structures is the Deep Blue Project, an integrated maritime security initiative coordinated by NIMASA. The project combines land, sea and air assets with intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

NIMASA says the initiative has played an important role in maintaining the country’s zero-piracy record. Its security architecture includes the Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence Centre, maritime patrol assets, fast interceptor boats, aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial systems.

The agency has also described the project as a key part of efforts to protect Nigeria’s territorial waters and wider maritime domain.

The Nigerian Navy’s role includes maritime patrols, surveillance, interdiction and cooperation with other agencies operating in the country’s waters.

Technology and intelligence becoming more important

Speaking to the graduating officers in Calabar, Abbas emphasised the importance of technology in modern maritime security.

He said the changing security environment required commanders who could integrate technology, intelligence and operational capabilities across maritime, land and cyber domains.

The Chief of Naval Staff also referred to a research project presented during the Naval Warfare Course examining how emerging technology could improve operational effectiveness in the Nigerian Navy.

The emphasis reflects the increasingly technology-driven nature of maritime security, where surveillance systems, intelligence sharing, communications and rapid-response capabilities can complement conventional naval patrols.

NIMASA has previously expanded the use of intelligence and surveillance technology through its C4I system, which supports maritime-domain awareness and security operations.

Maritime security remains linked to Nigeria’s economy

The Navy chief also linked maritime security directly to Nigeria’s economic interests.

Nigeria’s offshore oil and gas resources, ports, shipping routes and energy infrastructure depend on a secure maritime environment. Disruption to commercial shipping or offshore facilities can affect trade, energy production and government revenue.

Abbas said the Navy was therefore intensifying operations against crude-oil theft, illegal mining and other activities described as economic sabotage. He cited crude-oil production of about 1.56 million barrels per day in June 2026 as an example of the economic activity that depends on maritime security.

Piracy is only one part of the security challenge.

Illegal fishing, oil theft, smuggling, sea robbery and other forms of maritime crime can also affect Nigeria’s coastal economy even when no piracy incidents are recorded.

Four-year record does not remove need for vigilance

The IMB’s current guidance illustrates why Nigerian authorities continue to emphasise vigilance.

Although incidents in Nigerian waters have fallen significantly, the organisation continues to advise vessels to maintain security precautions because maritime incidents can occur and some cases may not be reported.

The IMB’s first-half 2026 assessment also showed that piracy and armed robbery remain an international maritime security issue despite global incidents falling to their lowest first-half level since 1992.

The organisation recorded 38 incidents worldwide between January and June 2026, including vessel boardings, hijackings, attacks and attempted attacks.

That wider picture reinforces the need for continued maritime surveillance even in areas where reported attacks have declined.

Regional cooperation remains important

Nigeria’s maritime security efforts also operate within the wider Gulf of Guinea security framework.

Piracy networks can operate beyond national maritime boundaries, making information sharing and coordination between neighbouring countries important.

The Nigerian government and maritime agencies have previously worked with regional and international partners to improve maritime-domain awareness and coordinate responses to threats.

NIMASA has said cooperation involving the Nigerian Navy, international maritime organisations and industry stakeholders has been an important part of the country’s progress.

The Nigerian Navy has similarly identified regional cooperation as one of the measures required to sustain the four-year record.

Navy seeks to sustain maritime security gains

The latest statement from the Chief of Naval Staff places the focus on maintaining rather than simply celebrating Nigeria’s piracy record.

Abbas said the gains would need to be supported by continued maritime-domain awareness, naval presence, regional cooperation and rapid response capabilities.

For Nigeria’s maritime sector, maintaining security has implications beyond preventing attacks on vessels. A stable maritime environment supports commercial shipping, offshore energy operations, port activity and other parts of the blue economy.

Nigeria’s four-year period without a reported piracy incident therefore represents one measurable change in the country’s maritime security situation. At the same time, the continued warnings from international maritime authorities show that other risks remain and that sustained surveillance will still be required.