Escalation of west African piracy causing concern

Brett Hosking, of The Standard Club, provides an update on west African maritime security

The Gulf of Guinea region remains an important trading area for international shipping. However, trading in this area is not without its challenges, more specifically the threat of piracy and kidnap. The root causes of these issues are varied and complex and likely include poverty, unemployment, corruption and a general disregard of laws due to the inability of local authorities to enforce them. That threat has escalated especially in the past two years.