Nigeria joins Saudi Arabia-led maritime alliance to secure Red Sea shipping
Nigeria has joined Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries in endorsing a proposed multinational maritime security alliance aimed at protecting commercial shipping, global energy corridors and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways.
The decision marks Nigeria’s entry into a major international security initiative spearheaded by Saudi Arabia amid growing attacks on commercial vessels, oil tankers and critical maritime infrastructure across the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The proposed Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance was unveiled after a high-level meeting in Riyadh attended by representatives of 43 countries and the European Union. Although 51 countries were invited to the conference, only 43 participated, with 14 eventually signing a joint declaration endorsing the initiative.
According to international media reports, the meeting focused on worsening threats to maritime navigation and examined the alliance’s operational framework, command structure and areas of responsibility.
Nigeria joined Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia in signing the declaration backing the proposed coalition.
The alliance will be headquartered in Saudi Arabia, which will also host its command and coordination centres.
In the joint statement, participating countries said the coalition would work to safeguard freedom of navigation, secure international trade routes and protect global energy supply corridors passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The signatories stressed that the alliance would be “purely defensive” and would not target any country, military alliance or international organisation.
