The National Boundary Commission (NBC) is committed to deploying a new strategy to reform Nigeria’s border management system.
The director general of the commission, Surveyor Adamu Adaji, stated this at an event to mark the 2025 Africa Border Day in Abuja.
Adaji said the day highlights the significant role of the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation (the Niamey Convention) in the integration of countries across the continent.
“The National Boundary Commission has chosen this year’s theme: ‘Building Border Community Resilience and Economic Development through Cross-Border Cooperation’ to celebrate the Day.
“This is in line with the African Union’s all-embracing theme of the year: ‘Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations,” he stated.
He also said that the colonial borders, which were previously seen more as barriers of separation and zones of confrontation occasioned by disputes and conflicts, are now increasingly being turned into bridges of cooperation and integration between nations, describing it as a welcome and encouraging development.
“Member states are reminded to ratify the convention for it to come into operation. Nigeria has since ratified the Convention. The essence of today’s celebration is to bring together all relevant stakeholders to reflect on the day and to celebrate African Border Day,” he informed.
Also speaking, the deputy governor of Sokoto State and chairman of the Nigeria-Niger International Border Platform, Engr. Idris Mohammad Gobir, said the country’s borders are dangerously porous and poorly protected.
“Just last week, someone was caught entering Nigeria with live ammunition. Our borders are closed in name, but open in reality. In my own community, there is a village with a school, market, and clinic, fully Nigerian. But today, Google Maps shows it as part of Niger Republic. This is not a coincidence. It is a quiet takeover,” he said.
On his part, the deputy governor of Bayelsa State and chairman of Nigeria’s Coastal Border Platform, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, stressed the need to establish a dedicated Marine Safety Corps.
According to him, Nigeria’s coastal areas remain under-secured due to the limited capacity of the Navy. “The Navy has fewer than 100,000 personnel, yet we expect them to cover a vast coastal stretch. That’s not sustainable. A Marine Corps will assist with intelligence gathering and coastal control. It will complement what the Road Safety Corps is doing on land,” he said.
