Nigeria Seeks West African Alliance to Protect the High Seas

What changed

Nigeria is seeking a West African alliance at CBD COP17 to support effective marine protected areas on the high seas.

The proposal rests on five strategies:

• regional coordination
• scientific cooperation
• livelihood protection
• enforcement
• financing

It connects West African cooperation to the global 30x30 biodiversity objective.

Why it matters

Protecting the high seas is not simply a matter of drawing boundaries on a map. It requires countries to coordinate decisions, share scientific knowledge, protect livelihoods, enforce rules and find reliable financing.

That makes Nigeria’s proposal a test of whether the 30x30 ambition can become practical in West Africa. The idea is clear, but its success will depend on details still to be settled: which countries join, how areas are defined, who enforces protections and where the money comes from.