Border Disputes: NBC Solicits State Govts’ Support to Address Border Disputes

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The Nigeria’s National Boundary Commission (NBC) has solicited the support of the state governments towards the commission’s constitutional mandate to enable it ensure a peaceful and prosperous borders across the country.

The Director-General of the commission, Adamu Adaji, made the call yesterday in an opening address during a two-day sensitisation workshop for Boundary Managers at the Government House, Bauchi.

Adaji, who explained that the programme was aimed at sensitising the participants on the challenges and prospects of boundary management in Nigeria, urged state governments to support the work of the commission towards establishing a peaceful and prosperous borders.

The DG stressed that the workshop aims to bring together, managers of boundary affairs and other relevant stakeholders to a dialogue and collaboration among neighboring states along internal boundaries of the country to fast-track peaceful resolution of boundary disputes.

He also disclosed that the programme was meant to serve as an atmosphere to share experiences and best practices in boundary management as well as sensitise states and the affected communities on the importance of synergy in boundary management business.

The DG, while appreciating the state Governor, Bala Mohammed, and the people of the state for the warm reception, pointed out that non-clarity of boundaries among the constituent states of the country has become a source of disputes.

He lamented that the differences in the claims and counterclaims that characterise the perceptions of the boundary alignment has in some cases led to volatile agitations that often degenerate into crisis.

Adaji further observed that  inadequacy of delimitation instruments, lack of proper sensitisation by states, activities of elites/traditional institutions, wrong perception of boundaries formed part of the challenges of solving boundary disputes, enjoined governors to establish state and local government boundary committees to aid speedy resolution of disputes.

According to him, other challenges relate to ownership/control of resources such as farm lands, water, game reserves, solid minerals and hydrocarbon resources along the border corridors, noted that such disputes has attendant consequences for socio-economic unrest.

The DG said the concept of cross-border cooperation mainly applicable along the international boundaries is to be replicated in the management of Nigeria’s interstate boundaries because of its immense benefits.