By Philip Yatai
Mr Adamu Adaji, Director-General, National Boundary Commission (NBC), and other heads of boundary commissions in West Africa have taken steps to strengthen border management in the sub-region.
Mr Chinwe Udouwem, NBC’s Head of Information, Press, and Public Relations, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday.
Udouwem explained that Adaji represented Nigeria at the Regional Meeting of the Platform for the Exchange and Coordination of Border Area Management in West Africa (PECOBOM) held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
She said that Adaji, who participated in a panel discussion on Experience Sharing and Good Practices in Cross-Border Cooperation, highlighted Nigeria’s more than four decades of experience and leadership in cross-border collaboration.
“Nigeria’s experience was widely acknowledged and commended by participants.
“`The meeting also provided an opportunity for Nigeria to deepen engagement with stakeholders and partner institutions working towards improved cross-border governance and stability in West Africa,” she said.
She explained that PECOBOM serves as a strategic collaboration in the management of border areas across the West African sub-region.
She added that the meeting, which began on April 7 and is expected to end on April 10, brought together heads of boundary commissions from West African countries and officials of key international development partners.
“Some of the partners are the African Union Commission and the German International Cooperation agency (GIZ), currently supporting the African Union Border Programme.
“Others are the International Organisation for Migration and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development.
“The meeting also attracted participants from the Economic Community of West African States and members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES),” Udouwem said.
She said that Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Integration, Mr Adama Dosso, who declared the meeting open, highlighted the historical complexities of African borders.
Udouwem further said that the Minister equally underscored the importance of PECOBOM in addressing emerging security challenges in the region.
She said that during the technical session, the participants deliberated on key frameworks, including the Regional Cooperation Charter on Border Governance and an Administrative Procedures Manual.
“lso, a 3-Year Regional Action Plan was also adopted to align border governance initiatives with regional priorities on peace, security, and enhanced cross-border cooperation.
“Nigeria’s contributions to the formulation of the Regional Action Plan were guided by its national priorities in border management, security, and community resilience,” she said. (NAN)
Edited by Emmanuel Yashim
