West Africa Piracy : Who are you going to call?

If you’re operating in the Gulf of Guinea / West Africa area and you’re being approached by small boats with hostile intent, you might well be asking yourself this question.  In the Gulf of Aden/Horn of Africa area of operations, the contacts are well established : UKMTO, MSCHOA, MARLO and the IMB Piracy Reporting Center.  Off the West Coast of Africa and in the Gulf of Guinea, the contacts aside from the IMB-PRC are a little more nebulous.

The UK P&I Club has recognized this shortfall and issued Bulletin 874 – 03/13 – Nigeria & Guinea Emergency Contacts – West Africa.  While this bulletin does include contacts for local military, some of the phone numbers are for mobile phones.  If you are operating in this High Risk area, an initial connectivity check and periodic communications assurance would be recommended.

Bulletin 874 – 03/13 – Nigeria & Guinea Emergency Contacts – West Africa