The National Boundary Commission says it is doubling down on efforts to permanently settle the long-running border disagreement between Ekiti and Kwara States. At the center of the push is the final definition of the 70 kilometer interstate boundary, a task the commission says is critical to peace, security and development in the affected areas.
The renewed drive was the focus of a Joint Meeting of Officials held in Ado-Ekiti this week. The Director-General of the NBC, Surv. Adamu Adaji, described the meeting as another important step in the commission’s ongoing work to close out all outstanding issues along the shared border.
Adaji explained that the current boundary traces back to the old Ondo-Kwara line. Its legal backing comes from Legal Notice No. 126 of 1954, which originally defined sections of the boundary between the former Northern and Southern regions of Nigeria. 
The commission’s involvement, he said, became urgent because of repeated clashes in border communities. Those disputes have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of families and long periods of tension between neighbors.
Speaking at the meeting, Adaji stressed that the NBC’s mandate goes beyond drawing lines on a map. “The National Boundary Commission remains steadfast in discharging its constitutional responsibility to peacefully define interstate boundaries and promote harmonious relations among neighbouring communities. Our objective extends beyond drawing boundary lines. It is about consolidating national unity, enhancing security and creating an enabling environment for sustainable socio-economic development,” he said.
Despite years of work, two areas are still unresolved. The first is the Eda-Oniyo axis in Ekiti State against Obbo and Aiyegunle in Kwara State. The second is the Erinmope corridor in Ekiti State bordering Imoji, Ilofa and Odo-Owa in Kwara State.
Adaji recalled that since 2002 the commission has held multiple joint meetings, set up field teams and carried out extensive tracing exercises. Those efforts have relied on the 1954 Legal Notice, historical records, verified maps and relevant court judgments. At the last technical meeting in Abuja in August 2024, it was agreed that digitized boundary maps would be sent to both states for review and harmonization before final demarcation.
However, progress has stalled. The NBC said it has already transmitted the digitized maps to Ekiti and Kwara, but it has not received the harmonized reports back from the states. That delay has held up the final phase of the boundary definition process.
“We have fulfilled our obligations by producing and forwarding the digitized maps in accordance with previous resolutions,” Adaji noted. “We are awaiting the harmonized positions of both states to enable us to proceed with the final definition and demarcation of the interstate boundary.”
To move things forward, the current Joint Meeting was convened to review pending issues, build consensus and agree on next steps. Adaji urged both state governments to support their State Boundary Committees with logistics and resources. He also appealed to communities along the border to remain calm and avoid actions that could disrupt the process. Representatives of the Ekiti and Kwara Deputy Governors, Chief Mrs. Monisade Afuye and Mr. Kayode Alabi, attended and reaffirmed their commitment to a peaceful and lawful resolution. They commended the NBC for sustaining dialogue and pledged continued cooperation while calling on residents to support the exercise.
