Strengthening Collaboration for Secure and Connected Borderlands
Lagos State University (LASU) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) have emphasized the need for stronger collaboration among researchers, policymakers, security agencies, and border communities to address emerging security challenges and promote socio-cultural integration across African borders. This call was made during the 2026 annual conference of the African Borderlands Research Network (ARBONE), held in Ikeja, Lagos, with the theme “The Connected Borderlands: Socio-Cultural Integration and the Centrality of Policy, Research and Security.”
The conference, co-hosted by LASU and NIS, brought together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders to examine border management, migration, security, regional integration, and the socio-economic realities of border communities. The event aimed to foster dialogue and cooperation among various sectors to develop effective strategies for managing borders in an increasingly interconnected world.
A Vision for Living Borderlands
Speaking at the conference, the Vice-Chancellor of LASU, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, highlighted the importance of viewing borderlands as living spaces where people, cultures, languages, markets, and histories intersect. She noted that the theme of the conference invited participants to look beyond the border as a line and instead see it as a dynamic space where national interests meet regional aspirations.
Olatunji-Bello emphasized that Lagos was an appropriate setting for the conference due to its strategic position along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor, which is vital for trade, movement, and regional integration. She also spoke about LASU’s commitment to border studies, including the establishment of its Bachelor of Arts programme in Border and Migration Studies. This initiative aims to cultivate a new generation of scholars and practitioners who understand the complex relationships between borders, livelihoods, identity, security, development, and human mobility.
The Role of Research and Practice in Border Management
Olatunji-Bello stressed that effective border management requires a synergy between research and practical experience. She stated, “Research needs practice, practice needs research, and both need policy. That is the triangle within which meaningful border governance must operate.” She commended the NIS for partnering with the university to bring the conference to Nigeria, emphasizing the role of universities in shaping policies and practices governing migration and border management.
In his address, the Comptroller-General of the NIS, Kemi Nandap, highlighted the significant transformation in border management driven by technological advancements, changing migration patterns, regional integration, cross-border economic activities, and emerging security threats. He noted that traditional methods such as physical patrols and document inspection were no longer sufficient to tackle challenges like human trafficking, migrant smuggling, identity fraud, organized crime, terrorism, and cyber-enabled threats.
Technology and Human Expertise in Modern Border Management
Nandap explained that the NIS was combining the experience of its officers with technology, intelligence, and inter-agency cooperation to address these challenges. She mentioned that Nigeria had made progress in modernizing its border management system through initiatives such as electronic passports, biometric identity verification, automated passport processing, and e-gates at international airports. Investments in surveillance, command and control systems, communications infrastructure, and integrated data platforms were aimed at enabling immigration officers to identify risks early and facilitate legitimate travel.
However, she stressed that technology alone could not guarantee effective border management. “Technology cannot replace professionalism, experience, judgment, and the integrity of the officers entrusted with securing our borders,” she said. Nandap also called for greater involvement of border communities in security and border management, describing them as strategic partners whose local knowledge was essential for effective governance.
A Holistic Approach to Border Governance
Nandap concluded that the future of border management would be increasingly digital, biometric, and intelligence-led but should remain human-centered. “Our vision is broader than securing Nigeria’s borders. We seek secure, connected, and resilient borderlands where communities can prosper, legitimate trade and mobility can flourish, and countries can cooperate in confronting shared threats,” she said.
Building Partnerships for Effective Border Management
Also speaking at the conference, Dr. Kareem Oladokun, Senior Special Adviser on Policy to the Minister of Interior, emphasized the need for stronger partnerships among government institutions, universities, security agencies, and development partners. He highlighted the importance of involving border communities in security and border management, noting that they often experience the consequences of insecurity and irregular migration firsthand.
Oladokun urged researchers to produce knowledge capable of anticipating emerging challenges rather than merely explaining past problems. He stressed the need to translate research findings into practical and sustainable policy solutions. Declaring the conference open on behalf of the Federal Government, he said the gathering provided Nigeria with an important platform to contribute to the development of secure and resilient borderlands across West Africa and Africa.
Universities as Key Players in Border Studies
Representing the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Commissioner for Tertiary Education Tolani Sule highlighted the importance of universities engaging with real-world challenges. He noted that African communities had long traded across frontiers, intermarried, and shared languages and traditions. The challenge, he said, was to ensure that borders protected legitimate national interests while supporting African integration.
Sule added that border and migration studies had become increasingly relevant due to their intersection with national security, economic development, international relations, cultural integration, public health, employment, trade, demography, climate change, and human rights. He expressed the state government’s commitment to supporting tertiary education, research, and innovation that responded to societal needs.
The Role of ARBONE in Borderland Research
Prof. Paul Nugent, Chairman of ARBONE Chiefs, discussed the network’s mission to promote research into Africa’s borderlands and understand the unique challenges and opportunities associated with them. He noted that ARBONE was founded in 2007 by 12 scholars at the University of Edinburgh and had since grown into an international network comprising academics, institutions, and government departments across Africa and other parts of the world.
Nugent emphasized that issues such as migration, urbanization, climate change, cross-border trade, public health, and insecurity were increasingly centered on border regions, making borderland studies critical to understanding Africa’s development. He expressed appreciation for LASU and NIS for hosting the conference, stating that the partnership would help connect research with policy and practical border management.
Recognizing Contributions of Scholars
The conference also highlighted the contributions of Professor Emeritus Anthony Asiwaju, a renowned Nigerian scholar of African boundaries and borderlands. His work helped advance the understanding of borders as spaces of interaction, exchange, identity, and contestation rather than merely territorial dividing lines.
