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Bridging the Gulf – private sector moves to fill naval gaps

2nd March 2021 - 14:00 GMT | by Richard Thomas

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Amid widespread cuts to defence budgets, West African countries see private sector as way to boost naval capacity in Gulf of Guinea.

Private maritime security companies are seeking to provide West African countries with naval platforms and personnel to protect key offshore infrastructure projects, as regional navies struggle to contend with the twin problems of budget constraints and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

While countries such as Nigeria still have the capacity to procure new vessels to serve their own maritime security needs, many countries in the region have recorded a dip in defence spending in recent years.

According to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), defence expenditure as a proportion of GDP decreased between 2017-2019 for nine

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