Nigeria and Cameroon near completion of border demarcation

Nigeria and Cameroon are nearing the completion of the physical demarcation of their international land and maritime borders. This development comes nearly 24 years after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a judgment on October 10, 2002, which resolved a long-standing boundary dispute and awarded sovereignty over the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon.

Adamu Adaji, Director-General of Nigeria’s National Boundary Commission (NBC), stated that the remaining work is concentrated in the Adamawa sector, which requires the placement of more than 260 boundary pillars. He expects the demarcation process to be finished within two to three months, with a goal of completion before the end of the year.

The Nigeria-Cameroon boundary spans approximately 2,100 kilometres, making it Nigeria’s longest international land border. Once the physical demarcation is finalized, officials intend to shift focus to management aspects, specifically addressing the needs of populations adversely affected by the boundary lines.