Nigeria has agreed to be the first country to test a new regional database of authorised fishing vessels in West Africa, a latest effort to crack down on illegal fishing that has long plagued the Gulf of Guinea.
Adegboyega Oyetola, Nigeria’s minister of Marine and Blue Economy, made the commitment during a meeting with the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) in Abuja Thursday. Nigeria currently holds the chairmanship of the organisation’s conference of ministers.
The database known as the Regional Record of Authorised Fishing Vessels, will list every industrial fishing vessel legally permitted to operate in the waters of the FCWC’s six member states that includes Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Togo.
By creating a single, verified record covering both foreign and local fleets, the system is designed to make it much harder for illegal operators to slip between national jurisdictions undetected.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a major problem across the region’s waterways, threatening fish stocks, coastal livelihoods and costing governments millions in lost revenue.
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As the pilot country, Nigeria will be the first to implement the system, testing its feasibility, identifying gaps and generating lessons that can guide the rollout to other member states, the ministry said.
Oyetola said Nigeria intended to use the experience to support its neighbours through the process.
“This initiative represents a major step forward in strengthening transparency, accountability and cooperation in fisheries governance across our shared waters,” he said.
Nigeria is currently updating its National Plan of Action on illegal fishing following the transfer of fisheries responsibilities to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy. The country is also participating in joint patrols and enforcement operations in the Gulf of Guinea through a partnership between the FCWC and the European Fisheries Control Agency.
Antoine Djihinto, secretary general of the FCWC, commended Nigeria for its offer to volunteer and commended Nigeria for hosting what he described as an “outstanding” FCWC Conference in Lagos in November 2025.
The FCWC was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Tema, Ghana. Its work centres on harmonising fisheries law, strengthening surveillance across shared waters, and supporting the livelihoods of small-scale fishing communities in the sub-region.
