Nigeria Holds Workshop On African Union Border Programmes

 

The Nigerian Government has held a National Workshop on the African Union Integrated Border Governance Strategy and the African Union Convention on Cross Border Cooperation.

The workshop which was held in Abuja aims to sensitise stakeholders on the programmes of the African Union towards promoting an integrated Africa.

The Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, Adamu Adaji, said that the issue of managing territorial borders with neighbouring countries required a multi-stakeholder approach and it was necessary that government agencies worked together to achieve a secured and united continent.

“The National Boundary Commission as a Multi-disciplinary Agency of the Federal Government under the able leadership of His Excellency the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has championed bilateral  and multilateral cooperation activities with our proximate neighbours.

“These activities had reduced the weight of the colonially inherited borders and significantly paved way for other agencies of the Federal Government to execute their mandates within Nigeria’s territorial jurisdiction.

“The issue of managing territorial borders with proximate neighbours requires a Multi-Stakeholder Approach. The newly adopted African Union Border Governance Strategy, provides a framework for Cooperation and defines the roles and stages of Border Management. It is therefore imperative that there must be collaboration between Agencies of Government so as to attain the required objective”, he said.

Adaji emphasised that the AU’s programmes were important tools for border management and ease of cross-border economic relations.

“Over the years, Nigeria through the National Boundary Commission has engaged her neighbours- Benin, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Principe and Ghana, in activities that promote trans-border engagements, confidence-building and peaceful co-existence.

“There is no doubt that the African Union Border Governance Strategy and the African Union Convention on Cross Border Cooperation are important tools for Border Management and facilitation of cross border economic activities that are fashioned towards fast tracking the 

much-desired African integration”, he added.

On his part, Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo, who is also the Chairman of the National Boundary Commission, said the workshop was crucial in fostering peace and stability in Africa.

Professor Osinbajo, who was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, stated that although the issue of boundaries existed since the colonial era, the initiatives of the AU must be adopted to promote unity and enhance cooperation for the betterment of Africa.

“Nigeria has played a leading role in the promotion of Africa unity and integration and indeed, Africa is the centrepiece of our foreign policy. At the heart of this policy is the promotion of African integration and support for Africa unity.”

“The African Union Border Governance Strategy was endorsed by the Specialised Technical Committee on Safety, Defence and Security, and this comprises Ministers and Top government officials from the African Union Member States.

“The strategy is considered to be a comprehensive tool that serves as a vehicle for effective border governance and fast-tracking the integration agenda through the facilitation of free movement of people, goods, services, migration dynamics and flow of capital between AU Member states”, he said.

Representing Deputy Governors of States across Nigeria who also function in the capacity of Chairmen of State Boundary Commissions, Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, stressed on the importance of the workshop to the States, particularly States that share boundaries with countries as it affected security and welfare of citizens.

 

“For us in our States,  this is a local issue – the issue of boundaries- and our citizens who live at the boundary. Most of the communities in the boundaries are remote from the State capitals and more importantly, more remote from the Federal Capital Territory and as such, their issues are sometimes not to the fore when people are discussing them. So, this particular workshop is very important to us and we are glad that a spotlight has been cast in these communities.

“For the local communities of the border, border issues have affected their security, lives and livelihoods, their education and well-being. The policies which affect the macro-economy of the country sometimes have devastating effects on these communities and leave them at a loss where it looks like the country is working against their interests. This particular people then feel that perhaps they live in no man’s land and this is one of the things that account for security challenges that are prevalent in these areas”, said Salako-Oyedele.

The African Union Border Governance Strategy was adopted by the 33rd Assembly of Heads of States and Governments of the African Union in February 2020, for a better and effective management of African Borders.

The theme of the workshop is “Towards a Secured, Prosperous and Integrated Borders.”