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 high-level meeting in Abidjan aimed at strengthening border management and security.

The commission disclosed in a statement on yesterday that the four-day meeting, convened under the Platform for the Exchange and Coordination of Border Area Management (PECOBOM), brought together Heads of National Boundary Commissions from member states and key international partners, including the African Union Commission,

German International Cooperation, International Organization for Migration, and International Centre for Migration Policy Development.
Opening the meeting, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Integration, Adama Dosso, highlighted the complexities of African borders and stressed the need for coordinated regional responses to emerging security challenges.

Deliberations focused on key policy frameworks, including a Regional Cooperation Charter on Border Governance and an Administrative Procedures Manual to standardise cross-border operations.

A major outcome was the adoption of a Three-Year Regional Action Plan designed to strengthen peace, enhance security, and deepen cooperation among border communities across the Economic Community of West African States region.

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

During a panel session, Adaji showcased Nigeria’s more than four decades of experience in cross-border cooperation, earning commendation from participants and reinforcing the country’s leadership in the sector.

The meeting also provided an avenue for Nigeria to deepen engagement with regional and international partners working to promote stability and sustainable development across West Africa’s border areas.