1. Africa’s maritime domain is particularly prone to emerging threats such as dumping of toxic waste, oil spills, global warming, sea level rise and climate change. This is aside the traditional challenges of drug running, IUU fishing, arms and human trafficking, illegal bunkering, crude oil theft, piracy, sea robbery and terrorism amongst others. Pertinently, most of these threats are migratory and trans-national in nature, thus compelling collaborations and synergy both locally and internationally. Hence, several measures/initiatives for regional collaboration have been entrenched with varying degrees of success. Some of these measures include the signing of the West and Central Africa Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control (ie the Abuja MoU); the Mediterranean MoU as well as the Indian Ocean MoU. This is in addition to the MoU setting up an Integrated Coast Guard Function Network under the auspices of the Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa. Other collaborative efforts include the establishment of multinational maritime operational centres and generation of an integrated maritime strategies by the AU and the various regional economic communities.
2. Despite the aforementioned initiatives, Africa is still particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of traditional and emerging maritime security challenges. This might not be unconnected with inability to optimize collaborative tactics, techniques and procedures at regional level and inadequate emplacement of MDA infrastructure amongst others. Hence, the paper seeks to address the following: