BORDER SECURITY AND THE MANAGEMENT OF NIGERIA'S RELATIONS WITH HER NEIGHBOURS

This article examines the challenges of border security and the management of Nigeria's relations with its immediate neighbors. It analyzes the specific security threats that emanate from and across Nigeria's long and porous land borders, including smuggling, illegal immigration, and the cross-border movement of arms and criminal groups. The study explores the historical context of these borders, which were arbitrarily drawn by colonial powers and often divide ethnic communities. The research assesses the capacity of the Nigerian state to effectively manage its borders and the effectiveness of its bilateral and regional security cooperation mechanisms. The paper argues that border security is a critical component of Nigeria's national security and is inextricably linked to the quality of its diplomatic relations with its neighbors. The analysis concludes by calling for a more integrated approach to border management, one that combines effective security enforcement with a proactive diplomacy aimed at fostering cross-border economic and social cooperation.

As the regional hegemon of West Africa, Nigeria faces a complex set of border security challenges that have a profound impact on its national security and its relations with its neighbors. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of these challenges. The study begins by mapping out Nigeria's extensive land borders and detailing the specific security problems associated with each frontier, from the challenge of religious extremism in the north to the problem of oil bunkering and piracy in the south. The core of the article is an assessment of the Nigerian state's border management strategy and capacity. It analyzes the roles of the various security agencies involved, such as the immigration service, customs, and the military, and highlights the significant problems of corruption and a lack of inter-agency coordination. The paper also examines Nigeria's diplomatic approach to border issues. It explores the functioning of various bilateral joint commissions with its neighbors and Nigeria's leading role in the regional security framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The findings suggest that a purely security-centric or unilateral approach to border management is ineffective. The paper concludes by advocating for a more holistic strategy, one that recognizes that the long-term solution to border insecurity lies in promoting legitimate cross-border trade and economic development, thereby giving local communities a stake in a stable and peaceful border.