Ghana’s maritime domain is more than a boundary; it is a lifeline that sustains trade, energy, nutrition, and national sovereignty.
Yet this vital space is under increasing threat from piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea, a danger with far-reaching implications for Ghana’s economy, environment, and national security.
In a statement in Parliament on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, the Member of Parliament for the Klottey Korle Constituency, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, underscored the urgent legislative and institutional reforms to strengthen Ghana’s maritime security framework.
She warned that unless the country acts swiftly to align its laws and enhance maritime domain awareness, the rising wave of piracy and transnational maritime crime would continue to erode economic stability and public safety.
“The insecurity in our waters is quietly taxing every household in Ghana,” she said, adding that “elevated maritime insurance premiums, driven by piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, translate into higher prices for food, fuel, and essential goods.
If we are serious about protecting our borders, we must be equally serious about securing our maritime domain.”
The year 2023 marked a decade since the signing of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, a regional framework developed to prevent and suppress illegal maritime activities in West and Central Africa.
Ghana plays a leading role within Zone F, which also includes Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Burkina Faso.
The Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) for Zone F is based at the Christiansborg Castle in Osu, Accra, within the MP’s constituency.
Despite Ghana’s strategic role, the MP noted that domestic legal and institutional systems remain inadequate to confront the scale and transnational nature of modern maritime threats.
While regional coordination has improved, Ghana’s national legislation, she said, lags behind international standards.
Legal gaps
A major concern was Ghana’s failure to fully domesticate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the global framework for maritime governance and security. Under current law, the definition of piracy in the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) does not conform to Article 101 of UNCLOS, a gap that has undermined Ghana’s ability to successfully prosecute piracy and related crimes.
“Without harmonisation, Ghana remains vulnerable to the complex and transnational nature of maritime crime,” she said. “We must bring our laws up to international standards so that our courts, prosecutors, and enforcement agencies can act decisively.”
To address this, she called on the Minister for Transport to expedite the submission of a Maritime Offences Bill to Parliament.
The bill would repeal outdated piracy provisions, align Ghana’s laws with UNCLOS, and strengthen the country’s capacity to meet regional and global maritime obligations.
Cost of insecurity
Maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea is not only a security challenge but also a serious economic burden.
The region remains one of the world’s most dangerous maritime zones, where piracy, armed robbery, illegal fishing, oil bunkering, and smuggling persist despite international attention.
The financial impact was far-reaching as shipping companies faced higher insurance premiums and increased operating costs, which were passed on to consumers.
Ghanaians ultimately pay more for imported goods such as fuel, machinery, food and medicine.
Beyond trade, maritime insecurity undermines Ghana’s blue economy, which encompasses fisheries, coastal tourism and offshore energy.
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing alone drains the nation of hundreds of millions of dollars each year, threatening marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
The MP stressed that maritime security cannot be achieved through law enforcement alone.
She emphasised the need to connect national maritime policy with coastal communities, many of which remain unaware of the broader implications of illegal maritime activities.
“Maritime domain awareness must not be confined to the corridors of power,” she said. “It must extend to our fishing communities, who are both stakeholders and, at times, victims of these crimes.”
She proposed that coastal communities be integrated into Ghana’s maritime security strategy through training programmes, community-based reporting systems, and livelihood initiatives for at-risk youth.
Empowering local populations, she argued, would make them the first line of defence against illegal activities at sea.
To ensure consistent financing for maritime protection, the MP proposed the establishment of a Maritime Security Fund, financed through a small portion of existing port charges.
The fund would support enforcement operations, technological upgrades, inter-agency coordination, and coastal surveillance.
“This Fund will help us build the capacity we need to respond swiftly and effectively to maritime threats,” she explained, adding that sustainable financing was key to protecting Ghana’s maritime assets and ensuring operational readiness.
Charting secure future
The MP also urged the government to accelerate implementation of the National Integrated Maritime Strategy, a framework that promotes coordination among maritime agencies and strengthens ocean governance.
She emphasised that maritime security was not merely a transport or defence issue, but a national priority tied to economic growth, food security and sovereignty.
“Our maritime domain is not merely a frontier—it is a source of trade, energy, nutrition, and sovereignty,” she concluded.
“If we are to secure Ghana’s future, we must secure our seas.”
As Ghana deepens its role in regional maritime initiatives, the country faces a defining challenge to modernise its laws, strengthen institutions, and engage its people in protecting one of its most valuable assets.
The call for reform was not just about deterring pirates; it is about safeguarding livelihoods, sustaining trade and securing Ghana’s blue economy for generations to come.
E-mail: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh
