Nigeria has reinforced its leadership in regional border governance as the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Adamu Adaji, joined top officials across West Africa at a strategic high-level meeting in Abidjan aimed at transforming border management and security in the sub-region.

The commission in a statement on Sunday said four-day gathering, under the Platform for the Exchange and Coordination of Border Area Management (PECOBOM), brought together Heads of National Boundary Commissions from member states, alongside major international partners including the African Union Commission, German International Cooperation, International Organization for Migration, and International Centre for Migration Policy Development.

Declaring the meeting open, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Integration, Adama Dosso, underscored the historical complexities of African borders and stressed the urgency of coordinated regional responses to evolving security threats.

Deliberations at the summit , according to the commission focused on critical policy instruments, including a Regional Cooperation Charter on Border Governance and a comprehensive Administrative Procedures Manual designed to standardise cross-border operations.

A major outcome of the meeting was the adoption of a Three-Year Regional Action Plan, aimed at strengthening peace, enhancing security, and deepening cooperation among border communities across the Economic Community of West African States region and allied blocs.

Nigeria played a pivotal role in shaping the action plan, aligning its contributions with national priorities on border security, governance, and community resilience.

Speaking during a panel on experience sharing, Adaji highlighted Nigeria’s more than four decades of expertise in cross-border collaboration, positioning the country as a model for effective regional cooperation.

His presentation drew commendation from participants, further cementing Nigeria’s influence in the sector.

The Abidjan meeting also served as a platform for Nigeria to strengthen partnerships with regional and international stakeholders committed to fostering stability and sustainable development across West Africa’s border regions.

The commission in a statement by the Head, Information, Press, and Public Relations , Chinwe Udouwem, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

The high-level meeting brought together, according to the statement , signals a renewed push toward integrated border management, as countries in the sub-region confront shared challenges ranging from insecurity to migration and economic integration.