Amid the recent resurgence of piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden, an expert in maritime law, Ayoola Fadola, has urged African states to revisit their maritime security frameworks and strengthen trade governance to safeguard Africa’s economic future.

The Gulf of Aden remains one of the busiest and most important shipping corridors in the world, connecting the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean. A disruption in this lane affects not just shipping companies but also African businesses and consumers. “Piracy is more than a maritime security issue,” Fadola explains. “It directly impacts the cost, competitiveness, and reliability of African trade.”

Recent incidents have led shipping lines to reroute vessels, adding weeks of travel time and higher fuel costs, while insurance premiums and freight charges have risen. For African economies that rely heavily on imports and exports — from Nigerian oil to Kenyan flowers and South African goods — these extra costs weaken competitiveness and discourage investment in port and logistics infrastructure.

Fadola points to the need for stronger legal and institutional responses. While international maritime law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), provides a framework for combating piracy, prosecution and enforcement often remain uneven. Past experience has shown that captured pirates sometimes fall into jurisdictional gaps, making long-term deterrence difficult.

African states have already laid foundations through initiatives such as the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIM Strategy), the Djibouti Code of Conduct, and the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, which link maritime security to development goals. However, Fadola notes that consistent funding, coordination, and stronger domestic legal frameworks are still required to make these initiatives fully effective.

He stresses that securing Africa’s sea lanes is essential for the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Without reliable and safe maritime corridors, the benefits of trade integration risk being undermined. Closing existing gaps will require fully implementing regional frameworks with political commitment and resources, updating domestic laws so that piracy is clearly criminalized under national legislation, and establishing regional mechanisms or courts that can handle cases without jurisdictional disputes.

Fadola also emphasizes the importance of building African-led naval and coast guard capacity, ensuring that states themselves can patrol territorial waters and exclusive economic zones rather than relying heavily on overstretched foreign forces. Equally vital, he adds, is the active involvement of the private sector. Shipping companies, insurers, and port operators must be part of the design and funding of maritime security strategies, since they too carry the costs of piracy.

Piracy, he warns, is not just about hijackings or ransom payments — it carries long-term opportunity costs. It discourages investment in Africa’s “blue economy,” from fisheries and offshore energy to shipping and coastal tourism. Without secure waters, the continent’s vast ocean-based economic potential will remain underdeveloped.

“The return of piracy is a reminder, not just a threat,” Fadola concludes. “It is an opportunity for Africa to strengthen its maritime security architecture, align laws with international standards, and ensure that the promise of AfCFTA and the blue economy can be fully realized.”