The National Boundary Commission has reaffirmed key positions supporting Edo State’s commitment to a peaceful and lawful resolution of the Edo/Kogi interstate boundary dispute.
This followed a joint meeting of officials held at Abuja , which was presided over by the Director-General of the Commission, Surv. Adamu A. Adaji, and brought together representatives of the affected states alongside 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, Hon. Dr. Dennis Idahosa, reiterated the state’s unwavering commitment to ensuring a peaceful, technically sound, and lawful demarcation of the boundary.
Idahosa stated that the mutually agreed boundary alignment endorsed in 2006 remains a critical milestone and provides a solid legal and technical foundation for concluding the exercise. He emphasized the urgent need to address the factors that previously hindered completion of the documentation and called for its immediate resumption in the interest of affected communities.
The meeting acknowledged Edo State’s constructive engagement and sustained cooperation with federal authorities in advancing the resolution process.
Technical briefings presented at the session confirmed that the Internal Boundary Technical Committee approved the Edo/Kogi boundary in 2006 using Legal Notice 126 of 1954. Both states had earlier adopted the mutually agreed boundary alignment, including monumentation that commenced in 2007 before being disrupted by community resistance in some sectors.
These confirmations, officials noted, reinforce Edo State’s long-standing position that the boundary framework already exists and requires only the completion of the monumentation process.
Resolutions reached at the meeting further strengthened the pathway toward final demarcation. It was agreed that the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation and the National Boundary Commission would provide Edo State with large-scale maps of the agreed boundary to facilitate the exercise.
The Commission will also interface with Edo State to arrange for the early resumption of monumentation.
Edo State, in collaboration with traditional institutions, will undertake targeted enlightenment and sensitization of affected border communities.
In addition, the Federal Government and the states will jointly identify pillar sites ahead of full resumption, while adequate security will be provided to ensure smooth field operations.
