Expectations of the Nigerians at the 2025 World Border Security Congress

By Alhaji Ado Mu’azu, Deputy Director General, State Security Service, Nigeria and guest at the 2025 World Border Security Congress.

As Nigeria joins other participants to this global defining moment to advance the quest for border security, I welcome all from Idioroko in Ogun State to Lakunji, Aflao, Rio Grande River in Mexico Pyrevees Mountain, from San Marino to Sixaola River.
Tiny physical lines (sometimes imaginary lines) separates two countries with political agreement that establishes where one country’s territorial sovereignty ends and the other’s begins. Hence what we know today as borders.

It is imperative to acknowledge the importance of border control in trade relations between countries especially in regulating movement of persons, goods and services across nations.

From the National Security perspective, border plays crucial role in maintaining the sovereignty, security and economic or political stability of a country. It also helps in preventing conflict arising from territorial disputes, monitor the movement of criminal elements, smuggling of goods and other cross-border crimes across national lines.

Many writers and researchers are of the opinion that porous borders exacerbates insecurity as Small and Light Weapons are been smuggled into West African countries.

In spite of numerous unmanned borders in West African Communities, lack of adequate human resource and logistics support allegations of corruptions practices from field officers hampers effective vigilance at Border Posts. Similarly, most border communities lack basic amenities such as good roads, portable water supply and efficient Health Care System which tends to push citizens along these borderlines to be indifferent in assisting Law Enforcement Agencies.

Political instability in some West African states often enables unregulated influx of foreign nationals and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for nefarious activities. For instance, even after the withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States, citizens from the the trior were allowed to free movements and could maintain trade relationships with ECOWAS. Statistically, Nigeria, due to its economic and political stability, is the most preferred destination of citizens of countries facing political unrest or economic turmoil in the region. General Ibrahim Babagida once said that Nigeria National Security is the security of her immediate Neighbours (Adeloyin 2019); instability in any Africa country affects Nigeria.

Nigeria undoubtably faces some cross-border security challenges, but most lethal is the farmers-herders conflicts which remain an existential threat to food security, Insurgency through gorilla warfare, cattle rustling, and proliferation of arms among others. These security threats can be linked to ECOWAS’ free movement and transhuman protocols. This transhuman conflict which is associated with global warming, affects states like Benue, Taraba, Adamawa and Nasarawa, especially during farming season.

Ladies and gentlemen, It is an outstanding honour for me and other Nigerians to be part of this forum which gives opportunity to confront these security issues and collectively share ideas and solutions to quench migration crises and facilitate universally smart and safe border system in Nigeria, West Africa and Africa at large.

The Economic Commission for Africa, Africa Export Import Bank Africa Union Commission and the Economic Community of West African Commission have shed light on the often overlooked world of Informal Cross border trade in Africa. A pilot project launched in 2019 along the Abidjan Lagos border corridor which evolved into phase (2) in 2022 provided a comprehensive view of informal cross border trade dynamics.

A total value of $22.8 million trade was recorded with high percentage of women sharing business transactions in a broader range of goods. (Re-thinking informal cross border trade in Africa). In the dynamic scenario of Global trade, Nigeria and indeed West Africa, remains a key player offering unique opportunities for sustainable development and international corporation with rapid growing emerging market.

Strategically positioned as a bridge between Europe and Africa, Nigeria, if the existing cross-border trade is properly harnessed, the country has great potentials to support Africans ongoing efforts at poverty alleviation. Therefore, like every other Nigerians, I strongly recommend effective and productive collaboration on securing our borders, eliminate threats that has reduced Economic activities, reduce ungoverned areas and restore business and economic activities in the disconnected regions. This effort can undoubtedably increase wealth generation, improve standard of living, and Gross Demestic Products and Per Capita amongst citizens of African sub-region. Above all, the foregoing could go a long way in clubbing insecurity in the Region.

Technology is transforming every facet of the border enforcement mission and expanding the limit of what was previously thought difficult to do. For instance, the convergence of operational technologies with information technologies and authomating force of Artificial Intelligence are becoming increasingly capable of dictating objects in every modality of trade and correlating technologies, bio metric systems Globally certified and other sensors, our expectation is also a collaboration that will mainstream Nigeria into evolving technologies to compliment our effort to mitigate wide range of threats of terrorism, trafficking illicit goods etc.

As technology plays a vital role in enhancing border security by providing innovative solutions to detect, prevent, and respond to various threats, however, it’s essential to address the ethical, legal, and social implications of these technologies to ensure their responsible use.

Nigeria remains a regional power in Africa- playing relevant roles in International Affairs with positive history of peace efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone etc. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who doubles as Chairman ECOWAS Head of States is an example to the recognition of Nigeria in Regional and Global affairs. As border security remains one of the basic and necessary responsibility of a sovereign nation with a lot of positive economic and social development. We extend our hands of collaboration and remain very optimistic that together we will realize the vision of securing our borders and consolidating the gains of sustainable development.