Effects of Porous Borders On The Corporate Existence of the Nigerian State

BY OLAJIDE ATUNWA

An ancient Greek Philosopher, Aristotle once said “no country is an island of its own”, an indication that countries need each other to survive and have a relationship with one another.

Despite needing each other to survive, borders are meant to be protected by reliable security agencies and secure the legal identity of the country against any act or movement that can jeopardize the wellbeing of such a country.

Nigeria is a country in West Africa that shares land borders with the Republic of Benin to the west, Chad and Cameroon to the east, and Niger to the north.

Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea in the south and it borders Lake Chad to the northeast. There are 364 approved international border points in Nigeria with about 261 in the north-east and north-west regions.

These borders are one of the easiest ways foreigners access Nigeria mostly illegally. The porous nature of the borders has made it easily accessible for terrorists and bandits to enter the country to commit mayhem. No wonder that illegal migration into and even out of the country persists; something experts believe is the major cause of insecurity issues such as farmers-herders conflict and Boko Haram insurgency bedeviling the country.

The agencies saddled with the responsibilities of manning the borders have always been in the news mostly for negative reasons. Nigeria Customs Services and Nigeria Immigration Services are performing below the expectation of Nigerians who attribute most of the atrocities in the country to foreigners who didn’t enter the country legally.

The role of border remains a very critical factor in finding solutions to Nigeria’s National Security challenges. Just like the skin protects the body, the border protects the Country from dangerous and unforeseeable elements. It is quite obvious that Nigeria’s borders have become very porous due to years of neglect by the Nigerian government. Such neglect has led to the serious National Security Challenges today like Boko Haram insurgency, armed bandit, illegal bunkering, drug pushing, and weapon trafficking to name but a few which degenerated into the worrisome large scale destruction of lives, properties and the economy of the Country.

Regrettably, Nigeria’s national security challenges have become very problematic and cumbersome because of the unhindered influx of criminals and arms through the Country’s porous borders. It is imperative to note that if a country cannot regulate and control its borderline, there is every tendency that outsiders will infiltrate and unleash mayhem on the citizens of the Country and that is exactly what Nigeria is undergoing currently in the hands of Boko Haram insurgency and Fulani Herdsmen. Nigeria undoubtedly has witnessed numerous gruesome attacks on police stations, army barracks, schools, Churches, Mosques, Markets, Social Gatherings and Farms from the hands of the deadly monsters called Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen and their attack has continued with impunity while Nigeria government seems helpless.

In conclusion, we should understand that borders are one of the most vital aspects of a state‘s national security. This is because states protect their national territory as among their qualities, though, border issues remain the citizen’s integral part of life. Because of economic hardship, political instability, and employment opportunities in other countries, citizens tend to leave their home countries to go and search for employment opportunities.

For these reasons, migrations and management of borders between Nigeria and its neighbouring countries seem to be a serious challenge, more especially if we look at the fact that there are intermarriages between the local communities at the border sides, the use of common language, which constitute easy communication and convincing methods towards authorities managing the borders among others.

–Atunwa is a public commentator. He writes from Abuja