Pirates . . . pirates and more African pirates
News of pirate activity off the East African coast, specifically off the Somali coast, has become commonplace. Most individuals who follow world news 
will be familiar with the numerous Somali pirate incidents, some high-profile, other not, which have from time to time dominated the airwaves.
But pirate attacks are not limited to waters off the Somali coast. Indeed outside Africa, there are significant piracy problems in parts of Asia. But even within Africa, the problem of piracy extends beyond eastern Africa.
Recently, the Ghanaian navy captured and returned a Nigerian oil tanker that had been hijacked off the Nigerian coast, near Lagos. According to the International Maritime Bureau, there were some 100 pirate attacks in West Africa last year. This is bad news for West Africa, and ultimately like Somali piracy, bad news for all of Africa.
Countries in Africa must do everything within their powers to ensure that the growing piracy problem is arrested and ultimately eliminated as soon as possible. A significant piracy threat to commerce will make development on the continent nearly impossible because so much of global merchandise is transported by shipping. It is imperative that the piracy problem is attacked now while it is small. The last think Africa needs is another huge problem to add the big issues of governance, corruption, human rights, etc. The list is already too long. Let’s not add piracy to the list.
in Ghana and then in the United States and Britain, where he obtained his degrees. With others, he spearheaded the political advancement of Africa. Dr. Nkrumah help lay the foundations for the Organization of African Unity (OAU) which was a compromise between his ideal of a Union of African States and the more conservative leaders seeking a gradual approach to African unity.