Efficient border security bedrock against drug, human trafficking– WAANSA Director

West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), has highlighted the importance of well secured internal borders in the fight against drug and human trafficking in Nigeria

WAANSA’s director of programmes, Engr. Francisco Chidi George-Okoli, gave the clue in a paper he presented at the world border congress in Madrid, Spain.

George-Okoli in is paper titled, ‘Challenges and Strategies in Securing Nigeria’s Borders against Drug and Human Trafficking,’ pointed at corruption, transnational criminal networks, and Nigeria’s socio-economic context as factors that exacerbate the challenges of drug and human trafficking, which eventually lead to other crimes like illegal arms proliferation in the country and the West African sub-region.

According to him, “Nigeria, a country with over 200 million people, is a major player in West Africa and faces significant challenges in securing its borders, especially against the threats posed by drug and human trafficking.

“With an expansive land border of over 4,000 kilometres, Nigeria shares boundaries with Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. The geographic complexity of this region, combined with porous borders, diverse terrain, and riverine crossings, creates fertile ground for the illegal activities of traffickers.”

In his presentation, George-Okoli explored the hydra-headed wellspring of Nigeria’s insecurity, and proposed a holistic set of strategies that aimed to strengthen its border security in the fight against drug and human trafficking.

“Securing Nigeria’s borders presents significant challenges due to the country’s vast and varied geography, porous borders, and issues of corruption.

“Nigeria covers an area of 923,769 square kilometers with a population of more than 230 million people, making it vulnerable to illicit activities, particularly drug and human trafficking.

“One of the primary difficulties in border security is the vast and diverse terrain. Nigeria’s borders stretch across deserts, dense forests and rivers, making effective monitoring and control difficult.
“The porous nature of these borders allows traffickers to move freely between Nigeria and its neighbours, often undetected, facilitating the smuggling of drugs and the trafficking of humans,” he said.

The WAANSA director also blamed this issue of corruption among some border officials, in the form of bribery and collusion with criminals which he said enable traffickers to bypass security checks and move illicit goods across the borders without interference.

“This corruption undermines efforts to strengthen border controls and hampers effective enforcement.

“Furthermore, transnational criminal organisations exacerbate the challenge. These networks operate across multiple countries, exploiting weak border enforcement and coordination. As a result, traffickers can easily move across national boundaries, further destabilising the region,” he added.