Author(s) :

MOHAMMED JAFAR SULEIMAN, NACHANA’A ALAHIRA DAVID, PhD, LAWAL SANUSI MUHAMMAD, PhD.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Abstract The persistent challenge of border porosity in Nigeria poses a significant threat to national security, enabling transnational crimes, illegal migration, arms trafficking, and insurgent infiltration. This study critically examines the strategies and operational effectiveness of Nigeria’s border management agencies, including the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, and other security outfits tasked with safeguarding territorial integrity. The paper employs a qualitative case study approach, drawing on triangulated data sources including policy documents, operational field reports, and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders across border communities and security institutions. Content analysis is used to interpret institutional narratives, while thematic coding identifies patterns in inter-agency coordination, technological deployment, and policy implementation. The study is anchored in the Securitization Theory, which frames border governance as a process through which state actors construct and respond to perceived threats. This theoretical lens allows for a critical examination of how security discourses shape institutional responses and justify exceptional measures in border control. The findings reveal systemic weaknesses, including inadequate surveillance infrastructure, corruption, and fragmented command structures, which undermine the agencies’ performance. The study concludes by proposing a multi-layered approach to border governance emphasizing regional cooperation, intelligence-led operations, and investment in smart border technologies as essential to mitigating the risks posed by porous borders and enhancing Nigeria’s national security architecture.

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