President Muhammadu Buhari is set to depart Abuja on Tuesday for the third extraordinary session of the assembly of heads of state and government of the Gulf of Guinea Commission. The meeting, which is convened by the president of Ghana, Nana Akuffo-Ado, will be held in Accra, the capital of the west African country.

In a statement released on Monday by Femi Adesina, the presidential spokesman, it was announced that President Buhari will deliver a keynote address at the meeting, focusing on strategies for strengthening peace and security in the fight against maritime-related crimes in the Gulf of Guinea region. The president’s participation in the meeting highlights the importance Nigeria places on regional cooperation in addressing security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea, which has been plagued by issues such as piracy, illegal fishing, and oil theft.

President Buhari’s trip comes amidst ongoing efforts by Nigeria and other countries in the region to combat maritime crimes and promote economic development in the Gulf of Guinea. It also underscores Nigeria’s commitment to regional and international partnerships in addressing security and economic challenges in the sub-region.

“As the immediate past chair of the assembly, President Buhari had championed collective efforts by member states of the region, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC), and their partners to address and prevent piracy,” the statement reads.

“In June 2019, Nigeria’s national assembly passed the suppression of piracy and other maritime offences act, 2019, (POMO Act) which aims to prevent and suppress piracy, armed robbery, and other unlawful acts against a ship.”

President Buhari’s delegation to Ghana will include Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser (NSA); Ahmed Abubakar, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and other government officials.