Leveraging the 80th Session of UN General Assembly (UNGA 80) in New York, holding September 2025, The New Diplomat/Gulf of Guinea Commission, GGC, convene a High-level Roundtable on the sidelines to address peace, security, $800bn hydro-carbon and maritime prospects in the gulf region. Louis Achi reports
Against the backdrop of searing global political and economic dynamics stemming from various factors including geopolitical tensions, climate change, energy streams, hydrocarbon pricing swing, natural disasters, trade instability, emerging blue economy potency and inter/intra state insecurity, the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80), will convene under the overarching theme “Building our Future Together,” from 9-23 September 2025
UNGA 80 will address pressing global challenges, including peace and security, business and investment, sustainable development, and economic resilience. In alignment with these global priorities, a high-level roundtable on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, has been put together, focusing international attention on the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) – a strategically vital region on account of its cruciality to regional and global energy, oil and gas, airlifting logistics, infrastructure and maritime capabilities.
The top-notch roundtable themed: “Unlocking Energy, Oil & Gas, Minerals and Maritime Opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea: A Roadmap for Peace and Security,” is convened by The New Diplomat, a non-partisan policy think tank based in Abuja, Nigeria, in collaboration with the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) headquartered in Luanda, Angola.
This collaborative forum – The New Diplomat and GGC – builds upon the inaugural event held during the 70th UNGA. It seeks to deepen international engagement on peace and security imperatives and catalyze investment and business in the region’s energy, oil and gas, mineral, aviation and maritime sectors.
The roundtable will hold on Thursday, 25th September 2025, at the 22nd Floor, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, 828, 2nd Avenue, New York, US. The pre-roundtable welcome dinner will hold 24th September 2025, 7:00pm-8pm, with the main sessions kicking off 25th September 2025.
The roundtable will extensively highlight and dissect the strategic importance of the Gulf of Guinea and illuminate the region’s peace, security, $800billion energy, oil/gas, infrastructure, and maritime business prospects.
For context, according to the OECD, the African coastal economy is projected to reach $3 trillion by 2030, with the GoG contributing $300 billion and creating over 49 million jobs.
Strategic Importance of the Gulf of Guinea
Spanning from Nigeria to Angola, the GoG produces nearly 50% of Africa’s oil and holds an estimated 10% of global reserves. The region also serves as a vital shipping corridor and a source of abundant natural resources – from hydrocarbons and minerals to fisheries – making it integral to regional and global economic architecture. It is a nexus for global trade, logistics and transportation.
However, it remains a hotspot for transnational threats including piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling, oil theft, and maritime terrorism. These security challenges jeopardize economic growth, affect investment, and undermine regional integration.
Current Challenges, Regional Responses
The Yaoundé Code of Conduct, adopted in 2013 by 25 coastal states, provides a foundational framework to address maritime threats. However, it has yet to evolve into a binding regional agreement. While efforts by ECOWAS, ECCAS, and the GGC continue, implementation gaps persist, particularly in harmonization, enforcement, and operational capacity.
Recent developments, such as Nigeria’s decision to host the Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) in Lagos under the African Union’s African Standby Force (ASF), signal renewed momentum. Yet, the ASF still faces readiness challenges, including political coordination, funding, and strategic airlift capabilities.
The September 25, 2025 roundtable provides a timely opportunity to revisit/illuminate regional frameworks, galvanize multilateral support, and align peace and security architecture with economic, business and development aspirations.
Strategic Benefits to the Private Sector, Diplomatic Stakeholders
The GoG is emerging as a critical gateway for investment, trade, and security cooperation, with over $800 billion in energy and infrastructure opportunities. This high-level roundtable provides a rare platform for public-private engagement to unlock the region’s full potential.
The associated key benefits for stakeholders include unparalleled market access and partnership building. Investors/participants will engage with high-level government representatives, business leaders, and investors from across 38 African coastal states. Leverage the GGC as a strategic platform to align business priorities, strengthen networks, and foster cross-sectoral collaboration – public, private, and multilateral. Others include:
Promoting Financing Architecture for Projects in the GoG
The roundtable will promote the creation of financing architecture for effective exploitation and channelization of the Gulf of Guinea’s energy, oil & gas, minerals and maritime resources for regional economic growth, private sector development, and the benefits of citizens of member states.
Catalyzing Blue Economy, Blue Diplomacy
It will play up regional collaboration on transnational projects in energy, oil & gas, maritime logistics, airlifting logistics and minerals. The roundtable will also harness emerging opportunities in the Blue Economy, supported by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Showcasing Innovation, Corporate Vision
In showcasing innovation, corporate vision, CEOs, captains of industry, and leaders of state-owned enterprises will have a global platform to present their innovations, brands, and development models to a targeted international audience.
Driving Economic Growth, Job Creation
According to the OECD, the African coastal economy is projected to reach $3 trillion by 2030, with the GoG contributing $300 billion and creating over 49 million jobs. The Roundtable helps position stakeholders at the forefront of this transformation as well as strengthening regional security for investment stability.
The New York roundtable will significantly support Nigeria’s leadership in hosting the Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) in Lagos under the AU-led African Standby Force (ASF) – a pivotal step to address piracy, oil theft, and maritime crime, which cost the region over $2.8 billion between 2020-2025 (IMB).
Shaping Regulatory, Security Frameworks
With little question, the roundtable will contribute to the evolution of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct into a binding legal framework. Promote harmonized enforcement mechanisms and operationalization of the ASF/CMTF to safeguard regional assets and reduce investment risks.
Positioning for Intra-African Trade Growth
As AfCFTA removes trade barriers, investments in coastal infrastructure and maritime security will facilitate up to $560 billion in additional trade, including $450 billion in oil, gas, and maritime commerce over the next decade.
Technical Cooperation, Logistical Innovation
Besides enhancing technical cooperation and logistical innovation, the roundtable will accelerate regional business synergies through exploration of joint ventures and policy dialogues on aviation, strategic airlifting, and supply chain resilience – critical to peacekeeping, commerce, and regional response capabilities.
Consequentially, it will forge alliances between established and emerging energy-producing countries. Enable peer learning, private sector matchmaking, and knowledge-sharing that catalyze regional business flows and prosperity.
Speaking to THISDAY, Ambassador Oma Djebah, Nigeria’s immediate past lead envoy to Thailand and founding Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of The New Diplomat said that Africa and Nigeria must leverage knowledge and exploit cross-cutting expertise to sustainably exploit the bounties of the Gulf of Guinea.
He told THISDAY that the objectives of the September 25, 2025 New York high-level roundtable at the margins of UNGA 80 include facilitation of a multi-stakeholder dialogue on security, governance, business, and investment opportunities in the GoG.
His words: “The other key objectives of the high-level roundtable include to Showcase national and regional efforts to strengthen maritime safety, combat piracy, and protect critical infrastructure; Propose a coordinated roadmap to promote peace, security, and sustainable development in the region; Mobilize support for Nigeria’s leadership in hosting the CMTF and enhancing AU-led security frameworks; and Promote private-public sector collaboration to unlock the region’s $800 billion infrastructure, oil & gas, mineral and energy potential.”
The expected outcomes from the New York high-level roundtable, according to Amb. Djebah, include strengthened alignment between regional peace and economic development efforts, a call for the legal formalization of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct; Enhanced investor confidence through clearer governance frameworks; Consensus on a coordinated implementation plan for the CMTF and ASF in the GoG; and Expanded networks for B2B, G2G, and P2P cooperation in maritime, energy, and infrastructure development.
Others include: Unlocking funding/investment opportunities for both public and private sector players in the Gulf of Guinea region and facilitate creation of the Gulf of Guinea Business Roundtable as a strategic regional business network, and nexus for private & public sector engagement in the GoG.
Expected to flow from stakeholders’ interface at the roundtable are specific key benefits and value proposition. According to Amb. Djeba, these include: “Strengthen cooperation among the 19 coastal states of the GoG and the broader 38 African coastal nations; Mobilize investments in maritime, oil & gas, and minerals projects across the GoG region; Showcase public-private collaboration models aligned with AfCFTA, Agenda 2063, and SDG 14 (Life Below Water); Drive technical partnerships around logistics, airlift, mineral, energy, and maritime enforcement to support the African Standby Force; Expand the operational capacity of the GGC as a regional coordination hub; and Promote the private Sector to benefit from the projected over $3 trillion Coastal economy by 2030.
Target participants in the roundtable include representatives from: UN, AU, ECOWAS, ECCAS, GGC; Transnational Private Sector; Global regulators (WTO)/GGC member States regulators (e.g, NUPRC); Diplomatic Missions/Specialized entities with interests in the GoG; National Govts (Oil & Gas, Defence, Energy, mineral, Trade, Aviation, Maritime); Development Finance Institutions (World Bank, AfDB, Afreximbank); Private Sector (Oil, Gas, Maritime, Mineral, Aviation, Logistics); and Sub-nationals governments, academia & global think-tanks.
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