FG moves to improve trans-border relations

The Federal Government has pledged more fireworks in the coming year for quick resolution of all pending international boundary disputes.

Director-General of National Boundary Commission (NBC), Adamu Adaji, disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, while briefing journalists on the activities and plans of the commission for next year.

According to Adaji, the commission plans to make all its zonal liaison offices active to handle activities in the zone for prompt action, as well as encourage states and local councils to establish a functional boundary committee.

He stressed that the commission would engage in more fieldworks for physical investigations towards making the boundaries more visible on the ground, as well as engage more in sensitisation.

Adaji said: “With respect to the Nigeria-Benin international boundary, the commission, in liaison with its Beninois counterpart, resuscitated the long-stalemated work with investigations along the Adjara River and the Igbokofi/Towe sectors of the boundary corresponding to the Ogun State axis of Nigeria.

“Additionally, we organised a cross-border cooperation activity in the form of a joint cultural and sporting activity among the communities of Baruten Local Council of Nigeria and the corresponding regions of Niger and Benin.”

“This is intended to downplay the weight of the border and create integration of the people, who are the same but only separated by the colonially imposed international boundary.

On the Nigeria-Cameroon International Court Justice (ICJ) decision, Adaji said 2,214 pillars had been emplaced at the boundary in a series of contracts awarded as lots.

While on Nigeria and Niger, he said Nigeria is liaising with her Nigerien counterpart under the joint standing committee and carried out reconnaissance exercise to recover all the old pillars placed between 1906 and 1908.

“We negotiated and replaced all pillars that were missing and reconstructed those that have deteriorated. So far, 128 Main Pillars out of the 148 inherited pillars have been reconstructed along the axis. About 739 Intermediate Pillars have been constructed so far along the Nigeria-Niger boundary,” Adaji said.