By ABUBAKAR YUSUF

The decision of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to adopt technological approach towards its operations in Nigeria is a major breakthrough in its activities, given the current trend of developement globally.

This is coming under the leadership of a well-groomed land expert, Surveyor Adamu Adaji, the current Director-General of the agency; on an ongoing partnership between NBC and National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA). When realized, it would be a major milestone geared towards not only resolving the age-long boundary crises prevalent in Nigeria, but guarantee the influx of multiple investors as a result of the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

This is different from settling crises that had defied solutions and nipping in the bud, any unavoidable, as well as avoidable skirmishes resulting from boundary disagreements.

With technology, the age-long disagreements and boundary disputes would not desire more time for addressing them, both physically and administratively to the conviction of all parties involved in Nigeria.

The process of deployment of the global practices and technological knowhow, aside from resolving pockets of uneasy calm in Nigeria that many a times resulted into civil unrest: both mini/ major disagreements, would also encourage peaceful co-existence, deter security challenges and address criminal activities that would encourage criminal elements arising from the troubled areas.

With a well-articulated leadership under a professional management, it would also impact positively on the socio-economic, political and other activities, making them to thrive in and around Nigeria.

With hi-tech technology and satellite monitoring, using modern equipment, the usual slow pace, bureaucracy, red-tapism and allegations of favouritism prevalent in boundary issues, as well as gathering of detailed data, would be enhanced.

Through data collection and management, the new template will equally enhance adequate data collections and its management, a sharp departure that abhors human influence, traditional mode and allow for smooth resolution of boundary disputes.

Even though the current management under Surveyor Adamu Adaji made efforts and deployed the existing template for accelerated resolution of about 30 major boundary crises out of about 80 existing ones, adequate access to technology would bring about speedy resolution, peaceful co-existence among communities along the border lines of states involved and, by extension, the entire country.

Through technological innovations, productivity and merit among staffers could easily be assessed, as it would also reduce to the barest minimum, undue influence on the part of staffers and communities involved in boundary issues.

With the migration of technological knowledge, no part of the country involved in boundary matters would feel denied, shortchanged or relegated to the background, given the balance, reliable, accurate, monitoring, markings, auditing and evidences available in soft copies through ICT based instructions and experiments.

With the new approach, it is crystal clear that resolving issues of boundary disputes would no longer be business as usual, as the new leadership is determined to resolve the bulk of boundary-related issues within the shortest possible time throughout the country.

Abubakar Yusuf and can be reached on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com

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