Nigeria is hosting the 2026 Annual Conference of the African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE) in Lagos, bringing together researchers, policymakers and security stakeholders to develop practical approaches to safer, more connected and resilient African borderlands.
The conference, organised by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in conjunction with Lagos State University, runs from August 24 to 28 under the theme, “The Connected Borderlands, Socio-Cultural Integration, and the Centrality of Policy, Research, and Security.”
The forum focuses on strengthening the integration of research, policy, technology and security in addressing challenges affecting movement, development and security across Africa’s borderlands.
Representing the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, at the opening ceremony, the Senior Policy Adviser to the Minister, Dr Kareem Olakoju, reaffirmed the strategic importance of effective border governance to Nigeria’s security and migration framework.
Olakoju also stressed the need for stronger institutional partnerships to address the complex security, migration and development challenges confronting African border communities, while declaring the conference open.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, highlighted Nigeria’s leadership in border modernisation, citing the introduction of Africa’s first electronic passport in 2007 and subsequent deployment of enhanced e-Passports, contactless biometric passport services and Automated Border Control.
Nandap noted that borders were not merely lines separating countries but dynamic spaces where people, communities, economies and cultures interact.
She identified intelligence sharing, cybersecurity, surveillance, command and control capabilities, capacity building and research as key components of Nigeria’s strategy for developing safe and resilient borderlands.
The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, Prof. Folashade Tolulope Ogunsola, said the university was committed to producing research that responded to the realities of Africa’s borderlands.
Ogunsola described borderlands as living spaces shaped by interaction, identity, mobility and economic exchange, stressing that effective border governance required closer integration of research, policy and practice.
Representing the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Akibu, underscored the significance of Lagos hosting the continental forum.
Akibu reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting platforms that promote research, strengthen regional cooperation and develop practical solutions to border and migration challenges across Africa.
The conference will deliberate on policy, migration, smart borders, digital identity, regional integration and cross-border security, while promoting stronger cooperation towards secure, connected and resilient border management across the continent.
