Drones and helicopters to police Gulf of Guinea
Nigeria to invest $195m in aircraft, boats, and vehicles in attempt to combat piracy in the GoG.
A major investment in maritime security has been announced by the Nigerian Government, with the country set to invest nearly $200m in hi-tech drones, helicopters and land-based vehicles, reports Dryad Global. The deployment by the Nigerian government will ease the reliance by shipping lines on private security companies as they ply the pirate-infested waters of the GoG.
In an interview in Abuja, Nigerian Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi said, “We will have enough vessels located in the water, watching the water full time. You have aircraft watching the water, drones watching the water and all of them have the capacity to respond.”
The initiative, known as the Deep Blue Project, will include two special mission vessels, two aircraft, two helicopters, four drones, 16 armoured cars and 17 fast interceptor boats. Blue Octagon, an Israeli maritime security company was responsible for procuring the equipment.
At present, nearly 200 privately owned escort vessels offer security in the Gulf, helping protect Nigeria’s crucial oil industry and sea-borne trade. Amaechi said the maritime industry will now have less need for the vessels which cost between $8,000 and $10,000 per day.
