Abuja:The Nigerian government is working to strike a balance between the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement and national security by enhancing the profiling, documentation, and monitoring of individuals crossing its borders.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Adamu Adaji, the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission, emphasized the need for authorities to know who enters or leaves the country, even under the free movement protocol. He underscored that while the protocol permits the movement of goods and persons, border agencies are still responsible for monitoring activities within Nigeria’s territorial limits.
Adaji highlighted the importance of profiling and documenting individuals, identifying security issues such as terrorism, kidnapping, and arms smuggling associated with border areas. He called for increased monitoring by security agencies to ensure that legitimate movement does not lead to criminal opportunities and urged for the identification and profiling of individuals using illegal routes.
Efforts to combat illegal crossings include improved surveillance and strengthening inter-agency cooperation. Nigeria has promoted a Cross-Border Cooperation Platform to enhance understanding, information sharing, and intelligence exchange with neighboring countries, aiming to secure respective territories collaboratively.
Adaji also stressed the role of border communities in detecting and reporting activities that could threaten national security. He advocated for supporting these communities with necessary infrastructure to encourage cooperation and strengthen their sense of belonging.
He concluded that effective border management should support security, trade, and lawful migration in line with the ECOWAS framework, with clearly defined boundaries enabling security agencies to monitor activities without unnecessarily restricting legitimate cross-border movement. Stronger coordination among agencies and neighboring countries is essential to achieving this balance.