ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to establish whether Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs) in Nigeria was a solution to armed robbery at sea in Nigerian waters. The Private Maritime Security Companies in Nigeria operated under rules set by the Nigerian Navy being the main custodian of maritime security in Nigeria. Although attempts were made to subvert those rules, the Navy has risen to clamp down on defaulters. It was found that what obtained in Nigerian waters was armed robbery at sea contrary to the widely used term piracy. The study also found that although PMSCs have not recorded any successful armed robbery attack on vessels or platforms they secured in Nigerian waters, the solutions to armed robbery at sea were infrastructural development based and employment related. The findings may be useful in proffering land based solutions to armed robbery at sea in Nigerian waters rather than resorting to securitization. 

TABLE OF CONTENT

Page Number

CHAPTER ONE

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Statement of the Problem 2

1.3 Aim of the Dissertation 5

CHAPTER TWO 

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction 8

2.2 Definition Maritime Security in Search of Meaning 8

2.3 Distinction between Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea 10

2.4 Causes of Armed Robbery at Sea in Nigeria Waters 11

2.5 The Rise of Private Maritime Security Companies in Nigeria 16

2.6 Mode of Operation of PMSCs in Nigeria 18

2.7 Government Agencies Responsible for Waterways Security in Nigeria 19

2.8 Role of Government in Enhancing Security in Nigeria Waterways 21

CHAPTER THREE 

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Conceptual Framework for Methodology 23

3.2 Study Area 23

3.3 Data Collection Technique 23

CHAPTER FOUR 

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Introduction 25

4.2 Summary of Findings 25

4.3 Conclusion 26

References 28