Impact of International Maritime Security Threats on Economic Development of Coastal Areas in Delta and Rivers States

With pervasive international maritime security threats in the region, especially sea piracy and oil theft, Nigeria loses huge sums of money in export revenues and this reverberates on the wellbeing of residents of coastal areas whose major means of livelihood depends on the maritime sector. The purpose of this paper was to assess the impact of international maritime security threats on economic development in coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States with particular reference to unemployment and poverty levels in the areas. This paper is built around the structural conflict theory of Marxism paradigm at state-level of analysis, which is vital in the understanding of how international maritime security is related to the exploitative nature of the capitalist system, which enabled economically advanced countries to buy cheap stolen crude oil from coastal areas in Nigeria. The sample size of the study was 385 respondents drawn from a population of 9,925 people comprising of staff from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Police Force and Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency in delta and Rivers States. The population of the study equally includes staff drawn from Togolese, Benin republic and Senegalese embassies Abuja as well as operators of shipping businesses, fishing groups and oil servicing firms in Warri, Port Harcourt, Oporoza and Bonny. Primary data were collected from close-ended and open-ended questionnaire and in-depth interview. Also, data were collected from secondary source. Data from questionnaire were analysed using simple percentages and absolute frequencies, while data from in-depth interview were analysed using narrative analytic technique. Data from secondary source were analysed using relational-content analysis. Findings showed that international maritime security threats in Nigeria maritime domain increases poverty and unemployment levels in coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States as well as transnational cooperation as well as collaboration are among the effective measures in combating negative impacts of international maritime security threats in Nigeria coastal waters on coastal areas in delta and Rivers States. Among other things, it was recommended that the federal government should urgently activate the use of relevant international instruments for combating sea piracy and oil theft in the coastal areas in Rivers and Delta States for enhanced economic development.


Introduction
The economic development of coastal areas in Delta and Rivers States is largely dependent on the level of international maritime security threats on its maritime domain. The coastal areas in Delta and Rivers State have large deposits of oil and gas which contribute largely to the economic development of not only the states, but of Nigeria generally. With pervasive international maritime security threats in the region, especially sea piracy and oil theft, Nigeria loses about $600 million in export revenues and this reverberates on the wellbeing of residents of coastal areas whose major means of livelihood depends on the maritime sector (Shafa, 2011).
With reduction in the revenue accruing to the country from crude oil and other maritime businesses, households engaged in the maritime sector begin to experience loss of incomes through loss of jobs, and this could make them poorer and unable to meet their basic needs. From 2019 to 2021, artisanal fishermen in Nigeria coastal areas lost about $106.6 million affecting each state in the Niger Delta region. In 2021 alone, 20 fishermen were kidnapped in the Nigeria coastal waters, resulting in the payment of ransom amounting to $2,484 per annum (Okereke, 2022).
Despite efforts by the government through establishment of Joint Task Force, among other security arrangements, to secure the country's maritime domain, international maritime security threats have continued to impinge on economic development of Nigeria coastal states. Therefore, this paper is geared towards the examination of how international maritime security threats in Nigeria maritime domain impact on poverty and employment levels in coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States as well as how such impacts could be mitigated to through transborder cooperation to enhance economic development in Delta and Rivers States.

Research Propositions
i. International maritime security threats in Nigeria maritime domain increases poverty and unemployment levels in coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States.
ii. Transnational cooperation as well as collaboration are among the effective measures in combating negative impacts of international maritime security threats in Nigeria coastal waters on coastal areas in Delta and Rivers States. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i1.14

Conceptual Review
International Maritime Security According to Nwankwo, Anaere, Ayuba,Okinwuyi and Oluroda (2014), defined security as a concept does not often involve the use of military might in combating security threats or purchase as well as use of arms and ammunitions in the protection of the state and the individuals. The authors defined security in terms of development and argued that without adequate development in a state, lives and properties of the people cannot be largely secured. Nevertheless, the authors did not define security to include whose responsibility is it to provide security, which is needed in this paper. Ngwube (2016) noted that security is the capacity of a state to cater for the basic needs of the people, while at the same time safeguarding the important interests of the individuals and the state from threats which could be economic, social, military, political or environmental in character.
The author equally defined security to include human security as well as state security. Human security is individual-centric and involves ensuring health security, social security, food security as well as other components of human security. On the other hand, state security is defined as protection as well as promotion of the safety of the citizens of Nigeria who live in the country or abroad. However, the author did not clearly define international maritime security, which is needed in this paper.
In the contribution of Malu (2011), national security in the modern epoch is defined from the perspective of development. National security means promotion of the survival of a state as well as the utilisation of economic power, military power, political power and diplomacy. The author further defined national security as the safeguard of the lives of the people and protection of properties of the people and those of the state. National security is geared towards the protection of national values such as national assets, national interests and other areas of strength on which the state rests. However, the author did not define international maritime security, which is the focus of this paper.
Similarly, Okereke (2022) asserted that international maritime security is concerned with the absence of acts that adversely affect the natural integrity s well as the resilience of any navigable waterways. Such effects on the international maritime environment in the seas as well as security However, the author did not define international maritime security to show that it is better prosecuted through multilateral arrangement.
Similarly, international maritime security issues are major aspects of collective security because it plays a pivotal role in economic development. The oceans support states along its coasts, but countries that are landlocked equally depend on the ports for their majority of their supplies (Dannreuther, 2008). However, the author did not identify the manifestation of international maritime security in coastal areas of Delta and Rivers State, which is vital to this paper. Therefore, international maritime security is defined as sea piracy and oil theft involving activities of transborder organised criminal elements hampering unemployment reduction and poverty reduction in coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States.

Economic Development
According to Abuiyada (2018), development is underpinned by change, and change in this context means progress from one state of affairs to another state of affairs, which is vital in this paper.
However, this definition of development did not meet our requirements in this paper because it did not specifically identify poverty and unemployment as indices of development. Neatu and Ciobanu (2014)

Theoretical Elucidation
This paper is anchored on structural conflict theory of Marxism paradigm at state-level of analysis. The theory has two major strands championed by liberalist and radicalist scholars. In this paper, structuralist conflict theory by radical scholars led by Karl Marx was adopted. Radical scholars blamed all societal conflicts on the capitalist structure, which produced bourgeoisies and proletariats. The relationship between the two groups is characterised by dependence and conflict (Ngomba, 2016).
The major assumption of the structural conflict theory by radical scholars is that conflict mirrors the way all societies are structured. Radical scholars argued that societal challenges such as poverty, crimes, security threats, unemployment, inequality, among others, are sources of conflict. For them, exploitation by bourgeoisies against proletariats is the major source of conflict in all societies (Adeleke, 2021). This theory is relevant to this paper because it laid bare the fact that the nature of international maritime security is related to the exploitative nature of the capitalist system, which enabled economically advanced countries to buy cheap stolen crude oil from coastal areas in Nigeria.

Methodology
The design of this paper is a mixed design involving descriptive and historical research designs.
The population of the study was 9,925 comprising of respondents from Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs (815) (61), Benin Republic (57) and Senegalese Embassies (53) in Abuja.

The population of study equally includes operators of shipping businesses and fishing groups in
Warri and Port Harcourt (262) and oil servicing firms in Oporoza and Bonny (186).
Rakesh sample size formula was adopted in arriving at a sample size of 385. Proportional random sampling was used in allocating questionnaire to population units because of the heterogeneous character of the population units, while purposive sampling was used in tentatively selecting 15 experts for in-depth interview from the population units using saturation theory. Out of 361questionnaire administered to the respondents, 318 questionnaires were dully-filled and returned to the researcher for analysis. Secondary data were collected from reports of International questionnaire were analysed using simple percentages and absolute frequencies, while data from in-depth interview were manually-transcribed and analysed using narrative-analytic technique.
Data from secondary source were analysed using relational content analysis.

Data Analysis
Examination The study by Okoronkwo, Okpara and Chieke (2014) focused on national security and maritime piracy using sociological discourse approach, which is related to this study in terms of variables studied, but differ from it in terms of depth of coverage of issues. The study by Okoronkwo, Okpara and Chieke (2020) found that corruption drives maritime piracy and insecurity in Nigeria, which is largely different from the findings of this study. On the other hand, a study by Nnadi, Nwokedi, Nwokoro, Ndikom, Emeghara and Oyemechi (2016), it was found the there is significant difference between sea piracy and armed robbery attacks among Gulf of Guinea countries, which is largely different from the findings of this study.
The study by Onuoha (2012) focused on sea piracy and maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea with particular reference to Nigeria. The study found that sea piracy in the Gulf of Guinea constrains shipping businesses and reduces imports of manufactured goods and food items, which Findings by Amadi and Abdullahi (2012) showed that sea piracy attacks on Bongo Oil facility, which used to produce 225,000 barrels of oil per day almost got grounded due to piracy attacks on Nigeria's offshore gas platforms, which is largely related to the findings of this study. This shows that sea piracy reduces the volume of revenue that would have accrued to Nigeria. This This is further buttressed by impact of international maritime security on Nigeria's economy, especially in the coastal areas as shown in Table 1.   Table 2.   Available online at https://www.ajpasebsu.org.ng/ https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i1.14 oil market. Maritime insecurity in Nigeria coastal areas made Nigeria lose portfolio investment and foreign direct investment, which declined to $4.6 billion and $1.44 billion respectively (Okereke, 2022). Nigeria lost over $105 million USD through oil theft. Oil theft equally made oil production to drop by 20 % in the country. Sea pirates also attack traders, travelers, fishermen and women and residents of coastal areas (Okereke, 2022) in Rivers and Delta States, hence reducing their efforts at economic production. The foregoing findings are related to the findings of this study in terms of issues covered, but differ from it in terms of scope of the coverage. This shows that majority of the findings from questionnaire, in-depth interview, and previous studies support research proposition 2. Therefore, research proposition 2, international maritime security threats in Nigeria maritime domain increases poverty and unemployment levels in coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States, was accepted.

Discussion of Findings
Findings from this study are largely in support of research proposition (i). In this regard, the findings that oil theft impedes increasing access to education as well as the findings that sea piracy Findings from previous studies by scholars such as Oluyemi (2020)

Conclusion
The paper examined the impact of international maritime security threats on economic development of coastal areas in Delta and Rivers States with a view to proffering solution to the challenge of poverty and unemployment in the States. the paper found that international maritime security threats adversely affected the revenue of operators of shipping businesses, fishing groups, and oil servicing firms in coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States. this resulted in increase in the level of poverty and unemployment in the coastal areas through job and revenue losses. Therefore, it is concluded that unless the adverse impact of international maritime security threats is checkmated, unemployment and poverty would continue to hamper economic development in the States.

Recommendations
The following recommendations were found relevant in the paper: i. The National Assembly should come up with legislations aimed at poverty alleviation and job creation with a view to cushioning the negative implications of sea piracy and oil theft on the livelihood of people in coastal areas of Rivers and Delta States; ii. there should be immediate declaration of war against sea piracy and oil theft in the coastal areas of Rivers and Delta states by the federal government through multilateral actions with a view to mitigating the challenges confronting the government in combating international maritime security threats in the country; and iii. the federal government should urgently activate the use of relevant international instruments for combating sea piracy and oil theft in the coastal areas in Rivers and Delta States for enhanced economic development. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajpas.v16i1.14

SECTIONS B
This section of the questionnaire contains questions that are directly related to the objectives of the study. Please provide answers as appropriate by ticking [ ] the correct option of your choice. SD = Strongly Disagree, D = Disagree, U = Undecided, SA = Strongly Agree, A = Agree (using Likert Scale) Section C: Impact of International Maritime Security threats on the Coastal areas in Nigeria Item Correlated statements SD D U A SA 1 Oil theft impedes increasing access to job opportunities in the coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States 2 Sea Piracy largely increased job losses in the coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States 3 Sea piracy impinges on maritime transportation in the coastal areas of Rivers and Delta States 4 Oil theft pose huge threats to the wellbeing of those engaged in oil servicing jobs in coastal areas of Rivers and Delta States 5 International maritime security threats largely hamper the job creation in the coastal areas of Delta and Rivers States 6. What are the impacts of maritime security threats on coastal areas in Delta and Rivers States?

Appendix II
Oral Interview Guide 1. Do you think that the nature of oil theft and sea piracy in Nigeria coastal water has any impact on the coastal areas in Rivers and Delta States? 2. If yes, how have oil theft and sea piracy impacted on the coastal areas in Nigeria, especially in Rivers and Delta States?
3.How can adverse impact of oil theft and sea piracy in Nigerian coastal areas be effectively combated for enhanced economic development in Delta and Rivers States?