TRANS-BORDER SECURITY CHALLENGES AND NIGERIA’S RELATIONS WITH HER IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOURS, 1999–2023

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of transborder security challenges on Nigeria’s relations with its immediate neighbours—Benin Republic, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon—from 1999 to 2023. The study employs a qualitative analytical method involving content analysis of relevant documentary sources. A thematic approach is adopted to analyze the data. The findings reveal that Nigeria’s border insecurity, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin and along the Benin–Niger frontier, has strained bilateral relations, disrupted trade, and undermined regional cooperation within ECOWAS. Although initiatives such as the Multinational Joint Task Force and the 2019 border closure policy were designed to address these challenges, they also exposed contradictions between national security imperatives and regional integration commitments. The study concludes that Nigeria’s security challenges are deeply intertwined with the stability of its neighbours, and that sustainable regional peace requires multidimensional strategies combining security cooperation, socio-economic development, and diplomatic engagement.