INTERNAL BOUNDARIES DEPARTMENT
With regards to the internal boundaries, the Commission’s focus is in its three-prong approach of: dispute prevention, dispute resolution and internal cross-border cooperation. The strategy of the Commission is to carry out all these activities in close collaboration with the affected constituent States of the Federation, as well as, other relevant Agencies of the Federal Government. The activities involve: searches for delimitation records; Joint Meetings of Officials of the States and National Boundary Commission, Joint Field Investigations by constituted field teams; physical boundary testing on the ground which involves tracing and provisional demarcation; joint sensitization and enlightenment campaigns; Ethnographic Studies amongst border communities, advocacy/appeal visits to disputing communities and workshops/seminars.
The Commission conducts, among other things:
i. analysis of correspondences on boundary issues received from States, Local Government Areas, as well as, other interested stakeholders;
ii. investigation of reported boundary disputes;
iii. interventions in boundary cases;
iv. participation in field investigations and provisional demarcation exercises;
v. monitoring and coordination of joint activities on interstate boundary;
vi. enlightenment and sensitization of border dwellers on essence and importance of boundaries as well as promoting more of the logics of boundary as against its politics;
vii. promotion of trans-border cooperation through joint utilization of common border resources;
viii. partnering with States on issues bordering on inter-local government boundary disputes, etc.; and,
ix. searches and articulation of relevant delimitation documents on boundaries within and outside Nigeria.
The ultimate objective of the demarcation exercise is to make the boundary visible on the ground. Over the years, the National Boundary Commission succeeded in establishing a peaceful internal border regime, which features peace along our interstate and inter-local government boundaries.