The federal government is strengthening border surveillance through drones, satellite imagery and other technologies to monitor difficult terrains and improve territorial management.

The director-general of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), Adamu Adaji, disclosed this in an interview on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Adaji said technology was increasingly important because some border areas were difficult for personnel to access.

He said drones could provide high-resolution imagery of border corridors and generate information useful for planning, monitoring and boundary management.

According to him, unmanned aerial vehicles could provide information from areas that were inaccessible or difficult to reach by humans.

“If properly deployed, they can be very helpful in providing the information and data required for the management of these boundaries,” he said.

The director-general said satellite equipment and other technological tools would enable authorities to obtain information from vast areas and monitor developments.

He added that such information could support planning and help authorities take appropriate measures to address emerging challenges.

Mr Adaji said effective border management also required surveillance systems, cameras and other means of gathering information and data.

He explained that technology was particularly necessary because Nigeria shared extensive land boundaries with neighbouring countries, including areas without adequate personnel.

The NBC boss, however, said technology alone could not resolve border-management challenges without cooperation among relevant agencies and neighbouring countries.

He said the commission’s primary responsibility was defining Nigeria’s territorial limits, enabling other agencies to understand where their jurisdictions began and ended.

Mr Adaji also stressed the importance of border communities in supporting surveillance and reporting suspicious activities to relevant authorities.

He said communities could help alert the government to potential threats because people entering Nigeria often passed through communities along border corridors.

The director-general said providing necessary infrastructure to border communities would encourage their participation and strengthen their sense of belonging.

He said improved technology, community cooperation and inter-agency coordination were therefore essential components of effective border management.

Mr Adaji assured that the commission would continue to work with state and local government boundary committees to obtain information and coordinate activities along border areas.

(NAN)