President Akufo-Addo has called upon African leaders to unite in the fight against illegal activities plaguing the continent’s coastlines.

He underscored the pressing necessity for collaborative efforts and collective accountability in tackling maritime security issues across Africa.

Speaking at the inauguration of the second annual African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS) and the third Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa (NILS-A) in Accra on Tuesday, President Akufo-Addo stressed the importance of heightened cooperation among African navies.

He advocated for increased joint exercises to confront prevailing threats and bolster maritime awareness along the coastlines.

“There are increasing numbers of other incidences occurring in the territorial and international waters across the entire African continent. Illegal oil bunker, kidnapping at sea for ransom, illegal fishing, terrorism and drug trafficking are common threats across our territorial waters.”

“These transnational crimes do not only threaten national and regional peace and security, but they also come at a great cost to the economies of both coastal and noncoastal states.

“In the face of these challenges, it is imperative that we foster greater cooperation and collaboration amongst African maritime forces by working together, sharing intelligence and coordinating our efforts so we can address effectively maritime security threats and safeguard our maritime domain,” he stated.