The Federal Government has restated its resolve to fortify Nigeria’s frontiers through coordinated action between federal agencies, border states, traditional institutions and neighbouring countries.
This consensus emerged at a one-day high-level national workshop on “Border Security, Resilience and Cross Border Cooperation” convened by the National Boundary Commission (NBC) in Abuja on June 15, 2026.
Speaking at the workshop, Defence Minister, General Christopher G. Musa (rtd) CFR, declared the Federal Government’s determination to end cross-border crime and terrorism.
He said Nigeria will deploy drones, early warning systems and stronger regional cooperation to secure its frontiers.
Gen. Musa represented by his Special Adviser, Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole, retd, noted that Nigeria’s borders face complex threats from transnational crime, irregular migration, smuggling and terrorism that “continue to test our national capacity”.
Musa said effective border management is now central to national security and development.
He described Nigeria’s borders as more than territorial lines: “They are strategic spaces for trade, interaction and shared heritage, while also serving as frontline areas against transnational crimes, irregular migration, smuggling and emerging security threats.”
The Minister stressed the need to move from reactive policing to proactive strategies anchored on early warning systems, technology-driven surveillance, and stronger intelligence sharing with neighbours.
According to him, “resilient borders are not only secured, they are adaptive, inclusive and capable of withstanding security threats, climate change and economic disruptions.”
In his welcome address, the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, Surveyor Adamu Adaji, said Nigeria’s 4,454km land border with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, plus an 853km coastline, demands collective action.
Adaji explained that NBC has activated cross-border cooperation platforms involving border communities, traditional rulers, local authorities, security agencies and civil society to drive dialogue, information gathering and conflict prevention.
Speaking further, Adaji said, “Resilient borders are not just about protection, they are about opportunity. Properly managed borders can become gateways for trade, cultural exchange, and regional integration.
“Our task, therefore, is to strike the right balance between vigilance and openness,” Adaji declared
He said, “Over the course of this workshop, we aim to deepen dialogue, share insights, and collectively craft practical strategies that will strengthen border security while promoting resilience and cross border cooperation.
‘We must move beyond reactive measures and embrace coordinated, forward-looking approaches that integrate security, governance, and socio-economic inclusion.”
In his remarks, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, said no country can manage border threats alone and called for deeper regional cooperation.
Traditional rulers along Nigeria’s international borders, led by the Emir of Machina, HRH Alh. (Dr.) Bashir Albishir Bukar, OON, CON, urged government to treat them as security partners, not spectators. The monarch said traditional rulers are the “first eyes and ears” of border communities and critical to early warning and grassroots sensitization.
Deputy Governors and Chairmen of State Boundary Committees from Nigeria’s border states commended NBC for the advocacy drive and pledged tighter collaboration to curb transboundary crimes and improve security at state level.
Speaking with journalists at the sidelines of the event, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Peter Agbe Odey, urged the National Boundary Commission to implement the 2002 ICJ judgment demarcating the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
He attributed the delay to a recent armed invasion of Danare community in Boki LGA.
He warned that undemarcated boundaries remain a direct security threat.
He said, “As Deputy Governor of Cross River State, I don’t think they have made enough effort. I believe more effort needs to be made in order to address it.”
He referenced the International Court of Justice judgment of 2002 on the Bakassi Peninsula and land boundary: “Up to this day, the NBC have not been there to actually draw the line, demarcating the borderline between Nigeria and Cameroon.
That judgment affected my state drastically. We had expected that before now, this should have been done.”
The Deputy Governor cited last week’s incident as proof of the danger:
“Last week, we had an invasion into an area called Danare, in Boki Local Government Area across my state, by forces from Cameroon. This is all because the borderlines have not been properly demarcated,” Odey said.
He said Cross River has repeatedly called on NBC “and we’re still doing even up to now, to ensure that we have appropriate border demarcation” not just internationally, but also internally.
Odey noted that Cross River faces “skim issues across the border” with neighboring Nigerian states too.
“In Cross River State, we have issues across the border. Between Cross River and Benue State, we have with Ebonyi State, we have with Abia State, and we have with Akwa Ibom State,” he stated.
His conclusion: “If these issues are properly addressed, I believe lives and properties will not be lost.”
In her remarks, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has described the High-Level Workshop on Border Security as a “wake-up call” for states to strengthen coordination with the National Boundary Commission and deploy drone technology to secure Nigeria’s frontiers.
Odu pointed that the workshop came at a critical time for Nigeria’s security architecture.
According to her, “For a long time we’ve been waiting to have this workshop, but it was actually rescheduled and now we’re having it now. It’s a great thing, like most of the speakers did emphasize, that the boundary is a major issue for the survival of any country. If the boundary is secure and resilient, then every other thing will take a toll from it.”
She said Rivers State will act immediately on lessons from the workshop: “For us, this workshop today, for me personally, is a wake-up call that when we get back home, we’ll build up a stronger committee that links up well with the national committee.”
The Deputy Governor appealed for stronger federal support: “We want to plead that the national commission should be empowered and also financially empowered to carry out the relationship with the states and ensuring that discussions and conclusions arrived at this workshop can be put into action so that beyond today, we can move forward.”
As a scientist, Odu said she was impressed by presentations on technology, especially drone surveillance used in Burkina Faso to combat terrorists.
“With the drone, honestly, I saw something, maybe it’s AI, and they were showing how Burkina Faso used drones to fight terrorists. You use the laser that you can do both at night and in the day, and it can pierce through even the thick bushes without endangering the lives of people,” she said.
“Adopting the current technological approach is an A thing. It’s an A star, and I appreciate it. Although it’s going to be capital intensive, but it’s worth it. It’s going to give us very concrete answers.”
Odu noted that demarcation alone is not enough if borders are not enforced: “Well, borders are delineated, and they are never enforced. But with this type of drone-activated, or driven approach, it’s going to give us more holistic results.”
She concluded that investing in tech-driven border management will translate workshop resolutions into real security gains for states and communities along Nigeria’s 5,307km borders.
Workshop sessions covered strengthening cross-border cooperation, maritime governance and the blue economy, drone technology for smart border management, border resilience and peacebuilding for national security.
