By Saminu Ibrahim
Nigeria has called on African countries to prioritise dialogue, negotiation and the interests of border communities in resolving boundary disputes, stressing the need to transform borders into centres of regional integration, cultural exchange and security cooperation.
The Director-General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Surveyor Adamu A. Adaji, made the call at the 2026 Abidjan Border Forum, which ended on Thursday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Adaji emphasised the importance of peaceful negotiations in border demarcation, guided by the spirit of African brotherhood and consideration for the welfare of local communities.
“There is need for negotiation in the demarcation of borders in the spirit of African brotherhood and taking into consideration the interest of the local communities,” he said.
He cited the resolution of the Nigeria-Cameroon border dispute as a successful example of how diplomacy and dialogue could replace tension and litigation, paving the way for effective cross-border cooperation.
The three-day forum, held from October 20 to 22, had the theme, “People at the Borders: Culture, Integration, and Security.”
It was declared open by the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, Robert Beugré Mambé, while the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, delivered the inaugural address.
The forum, institutionalised by the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2025 as a continental platform for border governance, is anchored on the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation.
The convention supports the African Union Border Governance Strategy’s bottom-up approach to integration, which promotes cooperation among local authorities and communities across national boundaries.
Participants at the forum stressed that cross-border cultural exchanges, community dialogue and joint initiatives were essential to building mutual trust and addressing security challenges in border areas.
Among the key resolutions was a call for African countries to ratify the AU Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation and institutionalise local cross-border cooperation mechanisms.
Such mechanisms, the forum noted, would enable local authorities and border communities to identify emerging threats, exchange information, resolve local tensions and strengthen early warning and response systems.
Nigeria, through the National Boundary Commission, ratified the AU Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation in 2023.
The development facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Local Cross-Border Cooperation between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin on August 18, 2025.
The agreement provides a framework for collaboration between border local government areas in Nigeria and border communes in Benin, with the participation of traditional rulers and other local stakeholders.
Both countries are currently working towards operationalizing the agreement to translate the diplomatic commitment into a functional mechanism that delivers tangible benefits to border communities while strengthening national security.
Adaji expressed appreciation to the government and people of Côte d’Ivoire, the African Union and other development partners for supporting the successful hosting of the forum.
