Fencing Nigeria’s Borders: A Strategic Imperative for National Security By Umar Farouk Bala
On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, I attended the inaugural Voice of Nigeria (VON) Security Summit in Abuja, themed “Renewed Hope Agenda: Citizens’ Engagement and National Security.” I was privileged to be among the selected youth participants who engaged directly with the keynote speaker, General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff.
In his compelling address, General Musa unequivocally called for the fencing of Nigeria’s vast land borders as a crucial measure to combat terrorism and transborder crimes. His proposal sparked a timely and necessary conversation—one that challenges us to reimagine border security not as a barrier to development, but as a backbone of national stability.
Nigeria shares over 4,000 kilometers of land borders with Niger, Cameroon, Chad, and Benin—many of which remain porous and poorly monitored. These weak borders have long served as conduits for arms trafficking, insurgent infiltration, and transnational crimes that threaten our internal security, especially in the North-East and North-West regions.
As General Musa rightly emphasized, nations such as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have successfully deployed border fencing to restore peace and assert national sovereignty. These efforts do not signify isolationism—they reflect a state’s obligation to protect its territory and people.
The idea that border fencing is synonymous with sealing off the country is misleading. Fences don’t prohibit entry; they regulate it. A secure border ensures that movement occurs through lawful, documented routes. It is about control—not closure.
Critics have raised concerns about potential violations of the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. However, these fears are misplaced. Neither framework was designed to accommodate unregulated or undocumented movement. On the contrary, both rely on structured, predictable systems.
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The ECOWAS protocol guarantees the right of citizens to travel, reside, and establish businesses across member states, but only within the bounds of legality and proper identification. Even in countries like Senegal, border enforcement authorities have asserted that security must take precedence. The same applies to AfCFTA: economic integration cannot thrive where insecurity festers.
Fencing Nigeria’s borders is not a breach of these accords. Rather, it reinforces them by institutionalizing legal entry and exit points, thereby enhancing monitoring, coordination, and mutual accountability among member states.
AfCFTA envisions a $3.4 trillion continental economy built on seamless trade and industrial growth. But this ambition cannot be realized in the absence of effective border management. Porous borders enable smuggling, sabotage formal trade, and erode state revenues.
Fencing, accompanied by modern customs infrastructure and digitized checkpoints, can streamline trade processes, reduce bottlenecks, and facilitate faster, more transparent cross-border commerce. It creates predictability—essential for businesses and governments alike.
Moreover, insecurity is a primary obstacle to industrialization. Investors are unlikely to set up factories or logistics hubs in regions riddled with violence and instability. Border fencing is therefore not a distraction from economic goals; it is a prerequisite.
General Musa’s call for fencing Nigeria’s borders should be seen as a clarion call for responsible governance and regional leadership. A nation cannot integrate effectively if it cannot secure its foundations.
Protecting Nigeria’s borders is not about turning our backs on Africa. It is about building the capacity to engage responsibly, confidently, and sustainably. Regional integration and national security are not mutually exclusive—they are mutually reinforcing.
As the General aptly warned: “If the Sahel falls, it is Nigeria they are interested in.” We cannot afford to wait for the threat to arrive before we act. Fencing our borders is not about shutting the door—it’s about ensuring it has a lock, a key, and someone responsible for watching it.
Umar Farouk Bala is a serving NYSC corps member at the PRNigeria Centre, Abuja.
He can be reached via: [email protected]
