ABORNE Conference 2026 Focuses on Borderlands Management

The African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE) Conference 2026 began on August 24, 2026, at the Lagos Marriott Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, and will conclude on August 28, 2026. This event, co-hosted by Lagos State University (LASU) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), aims to enhance land border management by bringing together researchers, policymakers, security professionals, and other stakeholders.

The conference theme is “The Connected Borderlands, Socio-Cultural Integration, and the Centrality of Policy, Research, and Security.” ABORNE, established in 2007, focuses on advancing research on international borders and borderlands across Africa, examining them as dynamic social, economic, and political environments. The network promotes collaboration among scholars and engages policymakers to ensure research informs evidence-based practices.

Key partners include the National Boundary Commission, Border Communities Development Agency, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, United Nations Development Programme, and ECOWAS Commission. Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, Vice Chancellor of LASU, emphasized the importance of integrating policy, research, and security in borderlands management.