Lagos: Nigeria has agreed to serve as the pilot country for the Regional Record of Authorised Fishing Vessels in West Africa, a move aimed at strengthening marine governance, curbing illegal fishing, and enhancing security across the Gulf of Guinea.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, said this in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Bolaji Akinola, on Thursday in Lagos.
Oyetola made the commitment as Chairman of the Conference of Ministers of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC). He spoke during a high-level meeting with the organisation’s Secretary-General and secretariat staff in Abuja.
He acknowledged that credible leadership should be matched by practical action to combat illegal fishing and strengthen marine governance across the Gulf of Guinea.
He explained Nigeria’s decision to host the pilot phase shows a clear intent to convert regional leadership into results that advance sustainable fisheries management.
The minister explained that the register would create a verified database of industrial fishing vessels authorised to operate in FCWC maritime zones.
According to him, the system is designed to improve transparency, accountability and cross-border cooperation in a region heavily affected by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
“The initiative builds on a roadmap endorsed by member states and reaffirmed in the Monrovia Declaration, which he noted, ‘The initiative builds on a roadmap endorsed by member states and reaffirmed in the Monrovia Declaration. The declaration outlined steps to establish the register as a shared governance tool across West Central Africa. Sons for the regional rollout.
“He pledged that Nigeria would use its experience to guide and support other member states once implementation expands, stressing that collective action was essential to protect fisheries resources and livelihoods in the Gulf of Guinea.
The register will hold reliable information on fishing vessels authorised to operate within the maritime jurisdictions of FCWC Member States.
“This initiative represents a major step forward in strengthening transparency, accountability, and cooperation. It enhances fisheries governance across our shared waters.’tives under the West Africa Sustainable Ocean Programme, implemented by the FCWC in partnership with the European Fisheries Control Agency, to deter illegal fishing.
“Nigeria’s draft National Plan of Action on illegal fishing was being reviewed and updated following the transfer of fisheries oversight to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, underscoring the country’s determination to address illicit fishing activities.
“I propose a deeper institutional engagement with the FCWC,I propose a deeper institutional engagement with the FCWC, which is a regional group focused on fisheries coordination, including a high-level Nigerian mission to the organisation’s secretariat (the main administrative office) and regional monitoring centre.
I also propose collaboration on standardising food safety and fisheries regulations (rules governing fishing and fish sales) across member states to boost trade and consumer protection, Oyetola said, adding that his tenure as Chairman of the FCWC Conference of Ministers would focus on practical outcomes, stronger institutions and sustainable use of ocean resources.
He thanked FCWC member states for their collaboration, calling the pilot vessel register a key step toward transparent and accountable fisheries governance in West Africa.
Speaking earlier, the FCWC Secretary-General, Antoine Djihinto, commended the minister for his commitment to addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
He commended the minister for boosting fish production in the country and also thanked the ministry for hosting. He also thanked the ministry for hosting an ‘outstanding and highly commendable’ FCWC Conference in Lagos in November 2025.CWC) is an intergovernmental organisation established in 2007 to facilitate regional cooperation in fisheries management among its six member states.
The six member states include Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo. Headquartered in Tema, Ghana.
FCWC works to ensure the sustainable development and optimal use of shared marine resources while aggressively combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the sub-region.
The FCWC core activities include harmonising fisheries legiFCWC’s core activities include harmonising (making rules more similar) fisheries legislation (laws about fishing), enhancing monitoring (tracking activities at sea) and surveillance (watching for illegal actions), and promoting sustainable blue economy growth (economic activities in oceans that are environmentally responsible). These efforts aim to support the livelihoods of small-scale fishers in the sub-region.
