The National Boundary Commission (NBC) said it is entrenching the use of research technology including drones, in boundary management.
Director-General, Mr. Adamu Adaji, stated this in Abuja, yesterday while assessing the impact of President Bola Tinubu’s administration after two years in office.
Adaji said the commission had advanced from analogue systems to digital and electronic systems in boundary management.
He said with the support of President Tinubu, the commission had made significant progress in managing Nigeria’s boundary issues.
“For those of us who are into the profession of mapping and surveying, we now know that we have advanced from the usual analog system to electronic system.
“Now, we have satellite imaging, aerial mappings and drones and with these modern technology, you can assess areas that ordinarily would have been difficult, if you were to go on foot. So, we’re really embracing technology.”
He reiterated the commission’s commitment to tap into available technology to get adequate and real time data for efficient definition of boundaries.
The D-G also said that research was assisting significantly with data gathering to support the delineation of internal and international boundaries, including maritime boundaries.
He added that the commission’s Research and Policy Analysis Department was equipped to provide relevant data for decision making for effective management of the country’s boundaries.
“Going forward, we will capitalise on Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” to deepen the adoption of technology and research in the definition and demarcation of internal and international boundaries.
“This, in the long run, will bring the dividends of democracy to the people, especially those living in border communities
“We are going to emphasise on the physical definition of these boundaries, particularly those areas that we have resolved.
“Thank God, we have improved budgetary provisions that will enable us to double our efforts in boundary demarcation and organise workshops to sensitise people to how to manage boundaries.”
Adaji further noted the difficulty in accessing some boundary locations, but expressed confidence that with modern technology, the commission would overcome some of the challenges.
The commission boss said it has made significant progress in resolving the Nigeria-Benin international boundary dispute.
He said the commission had reactivated intervention on the boundary which was at some point stalled by the Benin Republic as far back as 2012.
He, however, said that the commission had been able to get the Benin team back to the discussion table for a quick resolution of the dispute.
“We are in the process of trying to resolve the different positions of the disputed areas with respect to the southern sector, which is the Ajara River sector and also the northern sector, which is the Ilo-Borogu sector.”
He added that a joint committee had been set up to revisit the areas, search for more documents, and involve experts to help interpret some of the documents.
He explained that the disagreement stemmed from the different understanding of the description of the boundary in the two sectors.
The DG said that in the Ilo-Borogu sector, which involves the states of Kwara, Niger up to Kebbi, the issue involved the use of legal instruments.
He said that the confusion was between the treaty of 1906 and the later description of 1960.
“We tend to differ, but we have agreed that we are going to study the two documents critically and see what we as Nigeria can make of the two documents.
“The idea is to determine which one of the two will be more beneficial to Nigeria because the interest of Nigeria is always apparent in our operations and activities,” he said.
In the case of Ajara River, Adaji said the two countries disagree on which channel of the river to use.
He said that the Benin Republic was laying claim to a particular channel, while Nigerian was also laying claim to a different channel.
“We are going to look at the documents critically, if need be, explore the colonial administration’s archives to see which of the two documents is really the correct one to define the boundary.
“We’ve had instances where political will on the part of some governments have been quite discouraging.
“It is very disappointing when we reach agreements and resolutions but some of the governments concerned lack the political will to enforce them.”