Adamu Adaji, the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), said the federal government is working to reconcile the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement with national security concerns by enhancing the profiling, documentation and monitoring of people crossing Nigeria’s borders.
Speaking in an interview in Abuja, Adaji emphasised that free movement under the ECOWAS framework should not prevent authorities from knowing who enters or leaves the country. “People who enter and leave should be properly profiled and documented, even though they have the right to free movement,” he said.
News outlets differ on who conducted the interview. Vanguard reported the comments came from an “exclusive interview with Newsmen” in Abuja (Vanguard), while Premium Times said the interview was with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) (Premium Times).
Adaji said the ECOWAS Protocol allows the movement of goods and persons, yet border agencies continue to be responsible for monitoring activities within Nigeria’s territorial limits. He told reporters that authorities should know travellers’ identities and their reasons for entering the country, and that security agencies operating along border corridors must boost monitoring so legitimate movement does not create openings for criminal activity.
Adaji listed terrorism, kidnapping and arms smuggling as among the security-related activities associated with Nigeria’s border areas. He said illegal routes remain a challenge and urged authorities to identify and profile people using those routes.
The NBC boss urged measures to reduce, minimise and ultimately eliminate illegal crossings by improving surveillance and strengthening inter-agency cooperation. He said Nigeria has promoted a Cross-Border Cooperation Platform to bolster understanding, information sharing and intelligence exchange with neighbouring countries, encouraging collaboration in securing respective territories.
Adaji also urged expanded use of technology in border management, including surveillance systems and cameras in hard-to-monitor areas, and emphasised the role of border communities in detecting and reporting activities that could threaten national security. He said communities should receive necessary infrastructure to encourage cooperation with authorities and to reinforce their sense of belonging.
Finally, Adaji said border management should back security, trade and lawful migration in line with the ECOWAS framework. He argued that clearly defined boundaries would allow security agencies to monitor and manage activities without needlessly restricting legitimate cross-border movement, and stressed that stronger coordination among agencies and neighbouring countries is essential to achieving that balance.
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