Nigeria’s National Boundary Commission says physical demarcation of Edo-Kogi line remains stalled
The Director-General of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Adamu Adaji, has told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that efforts to physically demarcate the Edo-Kogi boundary have been frustrated by vanished landmarks, competing claims and resistance from communities along the corridor, according to reports by Premium Times and Punch.
Adaji said technical and administrative work produced an approved boundary line, which was cleared by the Internal Boundary Committee and was ready for ground demarcation. But when a contractor moved to mark the line on the ground, communities objected, saying the proposed line did not match their own understanding of the boundary, the reports said.
Explaining the challenge, the NBC boss cited Legal Notice No. 126 of 1954, the colonial-era instrument that defined the boundary between the Northern and Western Regions, and said many of the physical features referenced in that document have disappeared over time. That, he said, forced experts to interpret historical descriptions and sometimes make subjective judgements about where the line should run, prompting competing claims.
Adaji told NAN that some parties withheld cooperation during the process and later submitted documents, including court judgments, that had not been previously presented to the commission. He said the commission now needs to examine those materials and engage the states to reach a common understanding before full demarcation proceeds.
The NBC official said the commission agreed to commence demarcation when resources are available. “We are still looking for the resources to undertake it,” he was quoted as saying by both outlets.
Disputed sectors and farmland issues
According to the reports, the Edo-Kogi disputes involve the Ogori-Ekpedo, Okene-Okpella and Ake axes, where interpretation and demarcation remain contested. The NBC is also addressing farmland disputes involving Ibaji communities in Kogi and Uloshi in Esan South-East, Edo.
Progress on Abia-Anambra boundary
Adaji also told NAN the commission has recorded progress on the Abia-Anambra border. The boundary stretches about 23 kilometres, he said, of which 15 kilometres have been agreed and about eight kilometres remain unresolved. The unresolved corridor centres on parts of Umunneochi-Orumba South, including Umuaku, Ezioba and Owerre-Ezukala, the reports said.
The two states met with the commission in July and agreed to support fieldwork to re-establish the disputed sections. Adaji said the exercise might initially produce two lines reflecting each state’s claims before arriving at one clearly defined boundary.
Throughout the interview, the NBC director-general urged cooperation from communities, traditional institutions and state and local government bodies. He advised stakeholders to protect the property rights of people living along boundary corridors and stressed that “boundaries are primarily for administrative purposes. People can own properties across boundaries,” the reports quoted him as saying.
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