The director-general of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Adamu A. Adaji, said Monday Nigeria participated in the regional meeting of the Platform for the Exchange and Coordination of Border Area Management in West Africa (PECOBOM).
The high-level meeting which was held recently in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, brought together heads of NBC from West African countries, alongside key international organisations, including the African Union Commission (AUC), the German International Cooperation (GIZ) supporting the African Union Border Programme, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
The Platform for the Exchange and Coordination of Border Area Management (PECOBOM), serves as a strategic collaboration in the management of border areas across the West African sub-region. The meeting attracted participants from ECOWAS and AES member states.
The Minister of Integration of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Adama Dosso, who declared the meeting open, highlighted the historical complexities of African borders and underscored the importance of PECOBOM in addressing emerging security challenges in the region.
During the technical sessions, participants deliberated on key frameworks, including the Regional Cooperation Charter on Border Governance and an Administrative Procedures Manual.
A Three-Year Regional Action Plan was also adopted to align border governance initiatives with regional priorities on peace, security and enhanced cross-border cooperation.
Nigeria’s contributions to the formulation of the Regional Action Plan were guided by its national priorities in border management, security, and community resilience.
The director-general also participated in panel discussion on experience sharing and good practices in cross-border cooperation, where he highlighted Nigeria’s over four decades of experience and leadership in cross-border collaboration. Nigeria’s experience was widely acknowledged and commended by participants.
