NBC Moves to Resolve Edo–Kogi Boundary Dispute, Sets Stage for Monumentation

The National Boundary Commission has reaffirmed steps toward the peaceful and lawful resolution of the Edo–Kogi interstate boundary dispute following a joint meeting of officials in Abuja.

The meeting, held at Lucy Hall, Bon Hotel in Wuse II, was presided over by the Director-General of the Commission, Adamu A. Adaji, and brought together representatives of the affected states and relevant federal technical agencies to review progress and facilitate the resumption of the stalled boundary monumentation exercise.

Leading the Edo State delegation, Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Edo State Boundary Committee, Dennis Idahosa, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to a peaceful, technically sound and lawful demarcation of the boundary.

Idahosa stressed that the mutually agreed alignment endorsed in 2006 remains a critical legal and technical framework for concluding the exercise. He called for urgent steps to address factors that had previously delayed completion of the monumentation, particularly in the interest of communities along the border.

According to a statement issued by the Edo State Government, the meeting acknowledged the state’s constructive engagement and sustained cooperation with federal authorities in advancing the process.

Technical briefings at the session confirmed that the Internal Boundary Technical Committee approved the Edo–Kogi boundary in 2006 based on Legal Notice 126 of 1954. Both states had earlier adopted the agreed alignment, with monumentation commencing in 2007 before being disrupted by resistance in some communities.

The confirmations, the statement said, reinforce Edo State’s position that the boundary framework is already established and requires only completion of the monumentation process.

Resolutions reached at the meeting include the provision of large-scale maps of the agreed boundary by the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation and the Commission to Edo State.

The commission is also expected to interface with Edo State to facilitate early resumption of the monumentation. The state government will undertake targeted sensitisation of affected communities in collaboration with traditional institutions.

Other measures include joint identification of pillar sites by the Federal Government and the affected states, as well as provision of adequate security to ensure smooth field operations.

The development is expected to pave the way for final demarcation and lasting peace among communities along the Edo–Kogi boundary.