By Grace Abe
The National Boundary Commission (NBC) is seeking increased funding and stakeholder cooperation to complete Nigeria’s international border demarcation and strengthen peaceful coexistence with neighbouring countries.
The Director-General of NBC, Adamu Adaji, made the call in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
Adaji said Nigeria had established many of its international boundaries, but needed more resources to properly demarcate them and install additional boundary pillars.
He said reducing the distance between pillars would make boundaries more visible and help communities identify clearly which side belonged to Nigeria or neighbouring countries.
The director-general said the commission also wanted Nigerians to understand that boundaries should not be regarded as barriers to cooperation.
He appealed for greater funding, describing boundary demarcation as capital-intensive and essential to security, peaceful coexistence and development.
On cross-border cooperation, Adaji said Nigeria had established collaborative arrangements with Benin, Niger, Cameroon and other neighbouring countries to promote trade and movement.
He cited the Kasikano-Kano route between Nigeria and Niger, as well as corridors linking Nigerian communities with Cameroon, as examples of such cooperation.
Adaji said Nigeria and its neighbours had also developed transnational routes, while local communities continued to engage across borders because of shared cultures, languages and historical ties.
He said the commission recently brought Nigerian and Beninese communities together to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation along their shared boundary.
According to him, the NBC is also promoting local bilateral platforms to enable states and local governments to engage their counterparts across international borders.
He said the platforms would support cooperation in trade, security, information gathering and intelligence sharing, thereby contributing to development and addressing insecurity.
On the forthcoming general elections, Adaji urged Nigerians, particularly residents of border communities, to exercise their franchise peacefully and protect the country’s unity.
He said communities divided by interstate or international boundaries often shared strong cultural and historical ties and should not allow political differences to create conflict.
“Boundary or no boundary should not be a hindrance to peaceful coexistence and meaningful development,” Adaji said.
He urged Nigerians to give peace and unity priority, stressing that violence and destruction would undermine development and slow the country’s growth.(NAN)
Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi
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