By Orok Otu Duke
CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The National Boundary Commission (NBC) has reaffirmed the coastal status of Cross River State and its seaward littoral access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Cross River Estuary, as reflected in official maps and publications.
This confirmation was made during a national workshop on the creation of platforms for Nigeria’s coastal states and local government areas, held in Asaba, Delta State, on 13 November 2024.
The workshop was organised by the National Boundary Commission and addressed by its Director-General, Surveyor Adamu A. Adaji. Cross River State was officially represented at the workshop by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Peter Odey, underscoring the state’s formal participation in national coastal and maritime governance discussions.
During the workshop, Cross River State was expressly listed among Nigeria’s coastal states, alongside Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States. The classification places Cross River State among Nigeria’s international coastal maritime states, gateway states, and land boundary states.
The NBC publications accompanying the workshop include:
Map 1: Illustrative Map of Nigeria’s Maritime Borders, which clearly depicts the Cross River Estuary extending seaward into the Atlantic Ocean, forming a defined littoral outlet between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea; and
Map 2: Map of Nigeria’s Border States, which shows international maritime boundaries in red and clearly reflects Cross River State’s estuarine and maritime interface within Nigeria’s coastal boundary system.
Together, the maps confirm that the Cross River Estuary remains open to the sea and forms part of Nigeria’s recognised maritime domain.
Nigeria’s coastline spans approximately 853 kilometres, covering eight coastal states and 26 coastal border local government areas. In Cross River State, the coastal and estuarine local government areas identified within this framework include Bakassi, Calabar South, Calabar Municipal, Odukpani and Akpabuyo.
The NBC’s official maps and the Director-General’s submission provide authoritative institutional confirmation that Cross River State possesses a recognised coastal and estuarine frontage. This position reflects Nigeria’s current boundary configuration and aligns with post-ICJ cartographic and administrative arrangements governing the Cross River Estuary.
CAVEAT: Views expressed in this opinion are those of the author, Orok Otu Duke, PhD, and not of Converseer or its authors.
