Nigeria and Ghana are seeking stronger joint action against illegal fishing and declining fish stocks in the Gulf of Guinea, with both countries pushing for closer coordination in marine resource management and fisheries development.
The move emerged from bilateral talks in Accra between Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and Ghanaian fisheries officials, during a working visit by the Nigerian delegation.
Discussions centred on coordinated enforcement, information sharing, joint research and measures to protect marine ecosystems while supporting legitimate fish trade between the neighbouring countries.
Oyetola, who chairs the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), also commended Ghana’s progress in establishing Marine Protected Areas and enacting the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 (Act 1146).
Ghana’s Fisheries Commission Executive Director, Benjamin Campion, underscored the longstanding ties between both countries and the importance of collaboration in managing shared marine resources.
Ghana’s Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Emelia Arthur, called for climate-resilient fisheries management and identified coastal livelihoods, marine conservation and knowledge exchange as additional areas for cooperation.
Both countries said they would explore and formalise partnerships to strengthen fisheries management and support a more productive and sustainable blue economy in the Gulf of Guinea.
