The National Boundary Commission (NBC) has reaffirmed positions supporting Edo State’s commitment to the peaceful and lawful resolution of the protracted Edo–Kogi interstate boundary dispute.

The resolution followed a Joint Meeting of Officials held at Lucy Hall, Bon Hotel (Elvis), Wuse II, Abuja, and presided over by the Director-General of the Commission, Adamu A. Adaji.

The meeting brought together representatives of Edo and Kogi states, alongside federal technical agencies, to review progress and facilitate the resumption of the stalled boundary monumentation exercise.

Leading the Edo delegation, Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Edo State Boundary Committee, Dennis Idahosa, reiterated the state’s unwavering commitment to a peaceful, technically sound and legally grounded demarcation process.

Idahosa stressed that the mutually agreed boundary alignment endorsed in 2006 remains a critical legal and technical milestone, providing a firm basis for concluding the exercise. He called for urgent action to address the factors that previously stalled the monumentation process and urged its immediate resumption in the interest of affected border communities.

Technical briefings at the meeting confirmed that the Internal Boundary Technical Committee (IBTC) approved the Edo–Kogi boundary in 2006, relying on Legal Notice 126 of 1954. Both states had adopted the agreed alignment, and monumentation commenced in 2007 before being disrupted by resistance from some host communities.

The confirmations, stakeholders noted, reinforce Edo State’s longstanding position that the boundary framework is already established and only requires completion through physical demarcation.

Key resolutions reached at the meeting include the provision of large-scale maps of the agreed boundary to Edo State by the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation and the NBC. The Commission is also expected to liaise with Edo authorities to arrange an early resumption of monumentation.

Edo State, for its part, will undertake targeted sensitisation and public enlightenment campaigns in affected communities in collaboration with traditional institutions. The Federal Government and the two states will jointly identify boundary pillar locations ahead of field operations, while adequate security will be deployed to ensure seamless execution of the exercise.

The renewed federal-state collaboration is seen as a significant step toward the final demarcation of the Edo–Kogi interstate boundary and the prevention of recurring tensions in the affected areas.

The press release was signed and made available to reporters by Dr. Patrick Akhere Ebojele Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.