Gambari: Nigeria Has Artificial Boundaries With Neighbours

•Says Buhari’s diplomatic policy ‘concentric’

Deji Elumoye

Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof  Ibrahim Gambari, has declared that the boundaries existing between Nigeria and the neighbouring countries were not original but artificial.

This is as he also described the diplomatic policy of the Buhari-led administration in the last seven years as ‘concentric’.

Gambari spoke yesterday at the State House, Abuja, at a reception organised in honour of two principal officers of the president recently honoured by the President of Niger, Mohammed Bazoum.

The presidential aides who received the Nigerien highest honour were the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP), Lawal Kazaure and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Household and Domestic Affairs, Sarkin Ada.

According to Gambari, those countries sharing borders with Nigeria, including Cameroon, Benin Republic, Chad and Niger Republic, shared artificial boundaries through same interests and cultural affinities, binding them together.

He said “All these boundaries are very much artificial. The Europeans in Congress of Berlin just took a piece of paper and were drawing lines across places, where they have never been; they never intended to be, separated people, who should be united and uniting people, perhaps, who should be separated.

“But the leaders of Africa decided that it’s wise to keep those boundaries artificial as they may be,  because to change them other than peacefully, will be creating even more problems than they can solve. But in any case, whether by those lines, whether artificial or not, Niger/Nigeria share common boundaries, common interests, common concerns their families across the borders.”

Speaking on Buhari’s foreign policy, he said, “In his (Buhari’s) earlier incarnation, as Head of State, the defining feature of his policies was concentric circle of Nigerian foreign policy. That our interests, our efforts, will be concentrated on promoting Nigeria’s interests in concentric circles at the epicenter; the defence of Nigeria’s integrity, the prosperity, the welfare of its people.

“But next is the neighboring countries, then West Africa, then Africa, and then the rest of the world. And he has proved the continuity of Nigeria foreign policy in this sense by the fact that the first countries he visited after being sworn in, were the neighboring countries.”

On his part, State House Permanent Secretary, Tijjani Umar, congratulated the awardees, and added that the challenge of COVID-19, climate change and lately, the Russian/Ukraine war, have impacted the population negatively and as such, it has become important for countries to watch each other’s back.

According to him, the honour conferred on the presidential aides has further strengthened the bonds between Nigeria and Niger Republic.

Responding on behalf of his fellow awardee, Kazaure, said the international award was in recognition of the enviable strides made by the president even as he lauded Buhari for exposing them locally and internationally.