Nigeria and U.S. Marines discuss Gulf of Guinea maritime security at AMFS 2026

RABAT, Morocco (July 21, 2026) -- Nigerian maritime leaders met with U.S. Marine Corps Forces\, Europe and Africa during the African Maritime Forces Summit 2026 to discuss Gulf of Guinea security and strengthen their collaborative partnership in addressing shared maritime threats affecting West Africa.

During the summit, U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Daniel L. Shipley, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa, conducted a key leader engagement with Nigerian Navy Rear Adm. Mustapha Hassan, Chief of Policy and Plans. Their discussion centered on Nigeria’s maritime domain, which is central to regional security and global commerce.

The Gulf of Guinea supports commercial shipping, energy movement, fisheries, and coastal livelihoods, but it also faces persistent challenges from piracy, oil theft, illegal fishing, illicit trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime. AMFS 2026 provided a forum for Nigeria and other African maritime leaders to examine those challenges with regional and international partners. The summit’s discussions focused on practical cooperation, including national-level coordination, regional approaches, and innovation in maritime security.

During the engagement, leaders emphasized that maritime threats do not respect borders. Effective responses require professional forces, trusted relationships, maritime domain awareness, and coordination among partners who understand the region’s security environment.

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa support willing and capable partners through sustained engagement and professional exchanges that strengthen partner capacity to lead security efforts in their own maritime domain. With Nigeria, that cooperation supports broader efforts to improve regional coordination and protect the maritime economy in West Africa.

“Nigeria’s leadership is essential to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. When capable partners share information, coordinate across boundaries and lead security efforts in their own waters, they help protect lawful commerce, coastal communities and regional stability,” said Shipley.

As AMFS 2026 continued, Nigeria’s participation, highlighted by the engagement with Rear Adm. Hassan, underscored the importance of regional leadership, professional maritime forces, and sustained cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea. The relationships strengthened in Rabat help support a maritime environment where legal trade can move, coastal communities can prosper, and partners can respond more effectively to shared threats.