The National Boundary Commission is an Agency of the Federal Government saddled with the primary responsibilities of defining, delineating, delimiting and determining Nigeria’s Internal, International and Maritime territorial boundaries; monitoring trans-border relations between Nigeria and her neighbors with a view to detecting areas of tension and possible conflict; promoting cross border cooperation; and facilitating equitable utilization of trans-border resources.

The Establishment Act, 2006 provides the policy Organ of the Commission. The Board of the National Boundary Commission is Chaired by the Vice President of the Federation while the Director General serves as Secretary to the Board and Head of the Commission. Accordingly, The Commission is one of the Agencies under the Office of the Vice President.

With respect to international boundaries, Nigeria shares International Borders with Benin and Niger Republics, in West Africa and with Cameroon and Chad Republics in Central Africa. Nigeria also shares maritime borders In the Gulf of Guinea, with Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Benin, and Cameroon. The basic legal framework upon which Nigeria’s land boundaries are defined mainly emanates from the Treaties, Conventions and Agreements entered into between the British and French Governments. Some of the Treaties and Agreements have ambiguities and contradictions in the Articles that Nigeria still engages her neighbors in further negotiations and agreements to better define the international boundaries.

The post-independence leaders negotiated the maritime boundaries using the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS II) of 1982.
With respect to the internal boundaries of Nigeria, there are eighty-six (86) internal boundaries between the constituent States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).  The National Boundary Commission is working towards defining and determining these boundaries in collaboration with relevant Agencies of Government, the States and the FCT as may be appropriate.