West Africa needs specialized courts to fight piracy, says Ghana's deputy transport minister Joyce Bawah Mogtari, who is in Copenhagen for the Danish Maritime Days Forum, to ShippingWatch. Countries around the Gulf of Guinea have intensified collaboration to counter piracy and armed robbery, which particularly targets tankers in the so-called oildelta area in Nigeria, but which also has a knock-on effect that reverberates throughout the whole region.

"The situation gives rise to insecurity and suspicion. Many seafarer's lives are in danger, and we need serious security measures governing our activities in the event of attacks. We must be able to manage the issue effectively - even if Nigeria is the most challenging region - because you have to keep in mind that Ghana is only 40 minutes away from Nigeria," Bawah Mogtari tells ShippingWatch.