The 2026 Abidjan Border Forum has ended in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with a call on African countries to see borders not just as lines of separation, but as spaces for integration, culture and security.
The three-day Forum, which held from 20th to 22nd October, 2026, with the theme “People at the Borders: Culture, Integration, and Security” was declared open by the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Robert Beugré Mambé, while the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Mr. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, delivered the inaugural address.
The Forum, institutionalised by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in February 2025 as a Continental Platform for Border Governance in Africa, is grounded in the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation, a key instrument of the AU Border Governance Strategy’s “bottom-up integration” approach.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the National Boundary Commission of Nigeria, Surveyor Adamu A. Adaji, stressed the need for negotiation in border demarcation in the spirit of African brotherhood and with due consideration for the interests of local communities.
“There is need for negotiation in the demarcation of borders in the spirit of African brotherhood and taking into consideration the interest of the local communities”, Adaji said.
The DG cited the Nigeria-Cameroon border dispute resolution as a successful model, which moved from tension and litigation to diplomatic roundtable, paving the way for effective cross-border cooperation between the two countries.
The Forum underscored that cross-border cultural exchanges, community dialogue and joint initiatives can strengthen mutual trust and reduce security challenges.
Key resolutions from the Forum include the need for ratification of the African Union Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation and the institutionalisation of Local Cross-Border Cooperation to enable local authorities and border communities to identify emerging threats, share information, address local tensions and support early warning and early response mechanisms.
It is worth noting that Nigeria, through the National Boundary Commission, ratified the AU Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation in 2023. This facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Benin on Local Cross-Border Cooperation on 18th August, 2025.
The MoU provides a framework for collaboration between Nigeria’s border Local Government Areas and Benin’s border Communes, including traditional rulers and other local stakeholders.
Both countries are now working towards the operationalisation of the MoU to move it beyond a diplomatic commitment to a functioning mechanism that delivers tangible benefits to border communities and safeguards Nigeria’s national security.
The Director-General expressed appreciation to the Government and people of Côte d’Ivoire, the African Union and other development partners for supporting the successful hosting of the 2026 Abidjan Border Forum.
Chinwe Udouwem
Head, Information, Press & Public Relations
chinwe.udouwem@boundaycommission.org
