Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on Wednesday, 7 July 2021, opened the 2nd edition of the International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference in Accra with a call on all stakeholders, especially players in the maritime industry, to work closer together to combat the surge in piracy attacks and increasing cases of Kidnapping for ransom.

Statistics indicate there was a 34% increase in actual and attempted pirate attacks in 2020 in the Gulf of Guinea, as well as a rise in the number of cases of kidnapping for ransom and hostage-taking.

In 2020, 130 out of 135 persons kidnapped globally were reportedly abducted in the Gulf of Guinea alone.

Dr Bawumia stated that the government, on its part, is determined to modernise and re-equip the Ghana Navy and other sectors of the Ghana Armed Forces as well as key stakeholders to scale up their level of readiness to face the growing challenge