Nearly 24 years after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered its judgment on the Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary dispute, both countries are nearing completion of the physical demarcation of their borders.
The Director-General, National Boundary Commission (NBC), Adamu Adaji, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
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NAN reports that the ICJ judgment delivered on 10 October 2002, resolved the boundary dispute, awarding sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and delineating the two countries’ land and maritime boundary.
Mr Adaji told NAN that the remaining demarcation was concentrated around the Adamawa sector, involving more than 260 boundary pillars.
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“We are currently placing pillars to make the boundary visible in those sectors.
“As soon as that is completed, in about two or three months, we expect to finish the demarcation of the Nigeria-Cameroon international boundary.
“Hopefully, before the end of the year, we should be done with the demarcation.
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“We will then move to the management aspect, which involves addressing the needs of people adversely affected by the boundary,” he said.
Mr Adaji said the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary, stretching about 2,100 kilometres, is Nigeria’s longest international land boundary and the subject of the ICJ judgment in the Hague, the Netherlands.
“Nigeria shares land boundaries of about 770 kilometres with Benin, 1,500 kilometres with Niger, and approximately 2,100 kilometres with Cameroon,” he disclosed.
According to him, the case initially centred on Bakassi but eventually covered the entire boundary, from the Chad Basin through states bordering Cameroon to the sea.
He said implementation began in 2002 after the governments of Nigeria and Cameroon agreed, under United Nations auspices, to implement the judgment.
The two countries subsequently established the Nigeria-Cameroon Mixed Commission, chaired by the United Nations, to address outstanding boundary issues.
Mr Adaji said disagreements that caused some sectors to be skipped had been resolved through interventions by the presidents of both countries.
He said the resolution allowed both countries to consider affected populations and adjust boundary lines through a spirit of give-and-take.
“For example, a boundary line should not place a settlement that is predominantly recognised as Nigerian on the Cameroonian side while placing a settlement recognised as Cameroonian on the Nigerian side.
“The two countries, therefore, had to consider how the boundary line could be adjusted around those areas.
“That has now been finalised, and the points where the pillars will be placed have been marked,” he said.
He cited Koja as a major Nigerian settlement affected by the boundary alignment, saying the ICJ-defined boundary initially placed about 90 per cent of the community in Cameroon.
However, he said an understanding between Nigeria and Cameroon enabled the entire Koja community to remain in Nigeria, while concessions were made elsewhere.
“While an area such as Koja, where Nigerians are predominant, was retained in Nigeria, an area such as Turu, where Cameroonians are predominant, was treated as a concession to Cameroon.
“That is what was done. It is not simply about defining a boundary; it is also about taking the interests of affected communities into account.
“That is something that can guarantee sustainable peace and lasting cooperation,” he said
Mr Adaji said communities along the border often shared cultural, linguistic and historical ties, making cooperation essential after physical demarcation.
Speaking about the affected communities, Mr Adaji said the next phase would focus on development and provision of basic needs.
He said the needs of affected populations had been assessed, with the NBC working alongside the United Nations to ameliorate their conditions.
“As soon as we receive support from international partners and the governments of the two countries, we will begin arrangements to provide what is necessary for the affected communities along the international boundary,” he said
Mr Adaji said completing the Nigeria-Cameroon demarcation would mark a transition from defining the boundary to managing communities and promoting sustainable development along the border corridor.
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He said Nigeria and Cameroon would remain neighbours, stressing that respecting the international boundary must go hand in hand with measures that protect the welfare of border communities.
The NBC boss also disclosed that the commission had established what he described as the first ECOWAS platform for cross-border cooperation in West Africa.
He added that local committees had also been established at the state level to encourage cooperation between states and neighbouring communities across international borders.
He said cross-border cooperation would facilitate information sharing, combat smuggling and irregular migration, while allowing legitimate movements and community relationships to be properly documented.
“We cannot prevent people from moving around, because this is not a war between Nigerians and their neighbours. The communities are often the same.
“Sometimes, if you move a short distance, you have entered another country.
“There are people whose houses or farmlands may straddle the boundary, with part on one side and part on the other.
“That kind of situation calls for cooperation and cross-border engagement,” he said
On Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, Mr Adaji said the country shared boundaries in the Gulf of Guinea with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana and Benin.
He explained that maritime boundaries were established through coordinates and maps, rather than physical markers visible on the ground.
According to him, Nigeria’s maritime boundary with Cameroon has been resolved, while about three nautical miles remain to be resolved with Equatorial Guinea.
He said about eight nautical miles remained under negotiation with Ghana, while the maritime boundary with Benin was defined by treaty.
Mr Adaji said the commission was working to properly define Nigeria’s maritime boundaries and establish coordinates to guide naval operations and shipping activities.
(NAN)
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