Accounting for agency in negotiating the maritime security architecture of the Gulf of Guinea

Considerable attention has been drawn to the escalating maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea over the last decade. Based on this, several frameworks, agreements, and conventions have emerged to form the maritime security architecture for the region. This notwithstanding, incessant violent attacks both onshore and offshore have been recorded with debilitating implications. This paper highlights the realities of the existing maritime security framework and the overall effectiveness of the maritime security architecture of the region. The paper provides evidence of a positive relationship between external agencies and the effectiveness of frameworks rolled out in the region. Additionally, the paper finds that agential practice – one centred on parochialism and dependency – is observed in all facets of the maritime security framework spanning from negotiation to implementation of the security architecture in the Gulf of Guinea. This invariably affects the potency of the security framework designed to address maritime insecurity in the region.