West Africa Becoming Piracy Hotspot

Data from One Earth Future’s ninth annual State of Maritime Piracy report suggests that West Africa is fast becoming a global piracy hotspot.

The report records 54 incidents in 2015, 95 in 2016, 97 in 2017 and 112 in 2018, making West Africa the most dangerous area in the world for shipping.

Within the region Nigeria has experience the most attacks, with “petro-piracy” increasing in recent times.

Conversely East Africa has recorded a marked decrease in incidents, with 54 incidents in 2017 and nine in 2018 following multi-national efforts to patrol the waters and crackdown on perpetrators.