Prevalent Maritime Insecurity Threats to Sustainable Economic Development in Africa: Implications for Regional Integration and Policy Reform

Abstract

Maritime insecurity has emerged as the most destabilizing threat to the economic sustenance of Africa, crippling the region’s strategic waterways that serve as the lifeline of trade, energy supply, and blue-economy growth. This study investigates the implications of maritime insecurity threats on economic sustenance in Africa. Three objectives, three research questions and one hypothesis were proposed, answered and tested respectively in this study. Data was generated from 242 respondents, comprising of security agencies, maritime regulatory institutions and commercial maritime operators, using researchers’ developed questionnaire titled ‘Prevalent Maritime Insecurity Threats and Sustainable Economic Development Questionnaire (PMITSEDQ). Using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis with qualitative insights from case studies, the researchers found out that piracy is the most prevalent, most common and the main dominant maritime insecurity threat in the gulf of guinea. Again, findings revealed that maritime insecurity has a high influence on all measured socio-economic indicators, indicating severe disruptions to shipping operations, capital inflows, and port competitiveness. Result also revealed that maritime insecurity management frameworks are not adequate and effective, indicating gaps in implementation, enforcement, and compliance. Consequently, the researchers concluded that piracy exert substantial influence and constitute a critical threat on regional trade flows, seafarers’ safety, shipping operations, and economic stability. Based on the conclusion, the researchers recommended for prioritizing anti-piracy interventions in policy, resource allocation, and security operations.