Gulf of Guinea Security

Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar offered the keynote address at CSIS Conference to launch a new report on U.S. policy to bolster security and governance in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, A Strategic U.S. Approach to Governance and Security in the Gulf of Guinea, on July 20. The Vice President outlined steps that Nigeria has taken to date in implementing economic reforms and emphasized the country’s willingness to work more closely with the United States on regional governance and security issues. Conference panelists included Rear Admiral Frank Rennie of the U.S. European Command; Theresa Whalen, Department of Defense; Michael Considine, Office of Senator Hagel; Robert Wells, Office of Vice President Cheney; John Brodman, Department of Energy; and Paul Simons, Department of State. The CSIS report was the product of task force that brought together a diverse mix of corporate interests, human rights organizations, energy and military experts, academics, congressional staff, and regional analysts. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) was honorary chair of the task force, which recommends a comprehensive and robust U.S. approach to promote security, democratization, transparency, and capacity among West Africa’s oil-producing states.