The Federal Government has renewed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s border security architecture, as stakeholders called for deeper cooperation among security agencies, border communities, and neighbouring countries to tackle rising transnational crimes, irregular migration, and smuggling.

The commitment was made yesterday at a one-day high-level national workshop on “Border Security, Resilience and Cross Border Cooperation” organised by the National Boundary Commission (NBC) in Abuja.

Representing the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), Special Adviser to the Minister, Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole (rtd), said Nigeria’s borders were not merely territorial lines but critical spaces for trade, interaction and national security.

He said emerging threats required a shift from traditional border control approaches to proactive strategies driven by early warning systems, technology, intelligence sharing and stronger regional partnerships.

“Resilient borders are not only secured; they are adaptive, inclusive and capable of withstanding shocks from security threats, climate change and economic disruptions,” the minister said.
 
The minister, who declared the workshop open, charged participants to take the workshop seriously. Earlier in his welcome address, the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Surveyor Adamu Adaji, said Nigeria shares about 4,454 kilometres of land boundaries with the Benin Republic, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, alongside an 853-kilometre coastal stretch, stressing that effective border governance required collaboration among all levels of government.

Adaji said the Commission had established Local Cross-Border Cooperation platforms to strengthen engagement between border communities, traditional rulers, security agencies and neighbouring countries.

He noted that the platforms would support intelligence gathering, conflict prevention, lawful cross-border trade and peacebuilding.

Presenting a paper titled “Strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation: A Framework for Regional Security and Economic Integration,” former NBC Director-General, Dr M.B. Ahmed, advocated stronger regional cooperation, while Task Force Commander, Maritime Task Force, Gulf of Guinea, Commodore Mohammed Shettima, highlighted the importance of maritime governance and the blue economy.
 
The Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, also examined the role of border peacebuilding in enhancing national security.
 
Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, in his remarks, urged countries to work together, stressing that no nation could manage border crises alone.