Delta state’s deputy governor, Sir Monday Onyeme has urged the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to expedite amicable settlements of the state’s long-standing interstate border disputes, warning that delays risk undermining regional peace and development.
Speaking in Asaba on Friday 14-11-2025 during a courtesy visit by NBC officials, Onyeme singled out the Delta-Edo boundary as requiring urgent attention, while also pressing for progress on disputes with Ondo, Anambra, Bayelsa and Rivers states.
“Peace and security are prerequisites for sustainable development,” he said, praising the commission’s previous interventions but insisting on faster action to deliver “fair and equitable resolutions” for Delta’s citizens.
The appeal comes amid recurring tensions over land and resources in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, where unclear boundaries have fuelled communal clashes and hampered investment.
Delta, a major crude producer, shares borders with five states, making it particularly vulnerable to such conflicts.
Surveyor Adamu Adaji, the NBC’s director-general, who led the delegation, acknowledged the complexity of the issues.
He confirmed that each of Delta’s disputed boundaries – with Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo and Rivers – is under active review, with processes for definition and resolution already underway.
Adaji stopped short of committing to a timeline but reiterated the commission’s mandate to foster cooperation between states.
Onyeme, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, expressed confidence in the NBC’s impartiality, urging it to build on past successes.
Local analysts say a breakthrough could ease pressure on security forces and unlock economic potential in contested areas.
The NBC, established in 1988, has mediated dozens of interstate disputes nationwide, though critics argue its work is often slowed by political interference and funding shortages.
Delta’s push for speed reflects growing impatience among subnational leaders amid Nigeria’s fragile federal compact.
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