STRUCTURE OF THE COMMISSION
The National Boundary Commission is a multi-disciplinary Agency of the Federal Government that was created by Decree No.38 of 17th December 1987 and revised vide the NBC (Establishment Act 2006). It was conceived from the onset as a high-profile Government Agency with sensitive responsibilities to execute and it is listed as one of the fourteen “Federal Executive Bodies”. The National Boundary Commission operates on a three-level structure of The Board and two Technical Committees, one each for Internal and International Boundaries; and The Secretariat.
The Board
The Commission has a high-powered Board Membership presided over by the Vice-President of the federation, members are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; the Ministers of Defense; Foreign Affairs; Works and Housing; Interior; Petroleum Resources; Budget and National Planning; the Inspector General of Police; the National Security Adviser; the Director General National Intelligence Agency; and six other members appointed by the President each representing a geo-political Zone of the country. The Director General National Boundary Commission serves as Member/Secretary and the Governor or Governors as the case may be, of any State or States of the areas in dispute form part of the Board Membership. The membership of the Board also has a co-option clause which provides that other Ministers may be co-opted whenever matters affecting their schedules arise.
Technical Committees of the Commission
The Technical Committees of the Commission are:
The Internal Boundaries Technical Committee (IBTC) that deals with any internal boundary dispute with a view to settling the dispute. The Minister of Works and Housing chairs the Committee with other members as follows:
i. Representative of the Inspector General of Police not below the rank of Commissioner of Police;
ii. Permanent Secretary of National Planning Commission;
iii. Permanent Secretary, Political Affairs;
iv. Permanent Secretary, Ministry Interior;
v. Permanent Secretary, Special Duties;
vi. Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice;
vii. The Surveyor General of the Federation;
viii. The Comptroller General of Immigration Service;
ix. Three non ex-officio Members of the Commission;
x. The Chairman of the State Boundary Committee and the Surveyor-General in the relevant State, who may be co-opted when matters affecting their State arise; and
xi. The Director General of the Commission.
(b). The International Boundaries Technical Committee (INBTC) which deals with matters affecting Nigeria on its borders with neighboring countries, including land and maritime boundaries. It is headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs with other members as follows:
i. Representative of the Inspector General of Police not below the rank of Commissioner of Police;
ii. The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Defense;
iii. The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works;
iv. The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Petroleum Resources;
v. The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
vi. The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior;
vii. The Permanent Secretary National Planning Commission;
viii. The Permanent Secretary Police Affairs;
ix. Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice;
x. The Director General National Intelligence Agency;
xi. The Surveyor-General of the Federation;
xii. The Comptroller-General of Immigration Services;
xiii. Three non-ex-officio Members of the Commission;
xiv. The Chairman of the State Boundary Committee and the Surveyor-General in the relevant States, who may be co-opted when matters affecting their State arise; and,
xv. The Director General of the Commission.
The Secretariat of the Commission
The Secretariat of the Commission is headed by the Director General who runs the day-to-day affairs of the Commission. The Commission has Seven Departments as follows:
• International Boundaries;
• Internal Boundaries;
• Maritime Boundaries;
• Research and Policy Analysis;
• Finance and Accounts;
• Administration and Supplies; and
• Legal Services.
Zonal Liaison Offices
Presently, the Commission has six (6) Zonal Liaison Offices made up of one in in each of the six geopolitical Zones and located in Lagos (for South West), Calabar (for South-South), Enugu (for South East), Sokoto (for North West), Minna (for North Central) and Maiduguri (for North East).
Because of the sensitive nature of internal and international boundaries of Nigeria, the National Boundary Commission operates a multi-Agency Approach in the execution of its mandates. Based on the composition of the Board and membership of the two Technical Committees, as well as, relevant Conventions on Border Management, the Commission coordinates its activities with Ministries, Departments and Agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Federal Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Works and Housing, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Office of the National Security Adviser, Defense Headquarters, National Intelligence Agency, Department of State Service, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service and Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation.
The Commission also undertakes multilateral engagements with many inter-Governmental Organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU), African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) in the determination of the borders and promotion of cross border cooperation in order to ensure security, peaceful co-existence and good neighborliness. For instance, for the Nigeria – Cameroon, the process of determining the boundary is coordinated by the United Nations.