The Niger–Nigeria border is in length and runs from the

tripoint A triple border, tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geography, geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or Administrative division, subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints ...

with

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

in the west to the tripoint with

Chad Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...

in the east.

Description

The border starts in the west at Beninese tripoint in the

Niger river The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Nige ...

, then proceeds overland in a northwards direction, before turning eastwards in a broad arc. The border then proceeds eastwards in a broadly eastwards direction, though with considerable undulation, before reaching the Komadougou Yobe river; the boundary then follows this river eastwards to the tripoint with Chad in

Lake Chad Lake Chad (, Kanuri language, Kanuri: ''Sádǝ'', ) is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area in excess of . ...

. The border cuts through the densely-populated cultural region known as Hausaland, with Hausa speakers forming the majority on both sides of the frontier.

History

The border first emerged during the

Scramble for Africa The Scramble for Africa was the invasion, conquest, and colonialism, colonisation of most of Africa by seven Western European powers driven by the Second Industrial Revolution during the late 19th century and early 20th century in the era of ...

, a period of intense competition between European powers in the later 19th century for territory and influence in Africa. The process culminated in the

Berlin Conference The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 was a meeting of colonial powers that concluded with the signing of the General Act of Berlin,

of 1884, in which the European nations concerned agreed upon their respective territorial claims and the rules of engagements going forward. As a result of this

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

gained control of the upper valley of the

Niger River The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Nige ...

(roughly equivalent to the areas of modern

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

and Niger). Meanwhile Britain, which had (via the Royal Niger Company) administered the area around

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

since 1861 and the Oil River Protectorate (

Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari, Cali and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language, as the Efik people dominate this area. The city is adjac ...

are the surrounding area) since 1884, would have priority in the areas south of the upper Niger region. From their respective bases both nations gradually extended their rule into the interior. France has conquered the area of modern Niger in 1900; initially ruled as a military territory, it was later included within the federal colony of

French West Africa French West Africa (, ) was a federation of eight French colonial empires#Second French colonial empire, French colonial territories in West Africa: Colonial Mauritania, Mauritania, French Senegal, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guin ...

(''Afrique occidentale française'', abbreviated AOF). The British likewise extended their rule inland from their Lagos and Calabar bases, forming two additional colonies - the

Southern Nigeria Protectorate Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River. The L ...

and the

Northern Nigeria Protectorate Northern Nigeria ( Hausa: ''Arewacin Najeriya'') was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914, and covered the northern part of what is now Nigeria. The protectorate spanned and included the emirates of the Sokoto Caliphate ...

. In 1900 rule of these areas was transferred to the British government, with the Northern and Southern (including Lagos and Calabar) protectorates united as the colony of Nigeria in 1914. Britain and France had signed a treaty on 5 August 1890, agreeing that their respective territories would be divided by a line from Say to Baroua near Lake Chad; this line was in general further north than the current border. This boundary line was further delimited in 1898, 1904 and 1906, being finalised at its current location in 1910. A series of beacons and markers were thereafter placed on the ground to physically demarcate the border. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

both Britain and France committed to the decolonisation of their African territories. As a result Niger was granted independence in August 1960, followed by Nigeria in October 1960, at which point their mutual frontier became an international one between two sovereign states. In recent years the border area has been heavily affected by the ongoing

Boko Haram insurgency The Boko Haram insurgency also known as the Boke Haram Crisis began in July 2009, when the militant Islamist and jihadist rebel group Boko Haram started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. The conflict is taking place wit ...

in north-east Nigeria, resulting in flows of cross-border refugees and a general state of lawlessness.

Settlements near the border

Niger

* Sabon Birni * Bana * Yelou * Guéza * Bei Bei * Doumega * Nassaraoua * Tibiri * Gofo * Bazaga *

Birni-N'Konni Birni-N'Konni (also Birnin-Konni or shortened to Konni/Bkonni) is a town in the Tahoua Region of Niger, lying immediately north of the Niger-Nigeria border, border of Nigeria and west of seasonal Maggia River. It is an important market town and t ...

* Tsernaoua * Doguerawa * Kabobi *

Bangui Bangui (; or Bangî in Sango language, Sango, formerly written Bangi in English) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in the Central African Republic, largest city of the Central African Republic. It was established as a Fren ...

* Dan Mairi * Serkin Toudou * Maraka * Bakoraouni * Magaria * Doumbari * Gamdou * Dunari * Miskindi * Toulatoula * Faya Koura * Mainé-Soroa * Diffa * Bosso

Nigeria

* Dolé * Kamba * Kokoba * Maiyama * Rafin Tsaka * Nageda * Kangiwa * Kwalaye * Lema * Tagimba * Jimojime Sule * Tunugara * Ruawuri * Kalmalo * Kwashebawa * Djibia * Katsina * Dankama * Mai'Adua * Zango * Rogogo * Maribara * Baure * Babura * Maigatari * Galadi * Machina * Gumsi * Meori * Kurusalia * Njikilamma * Karagu * Margawa * Arege

Border crossings

There are numerous official border crossings, the main ones being Gaya-Kamba,

-Ilela, Dan-Issa- Katsina and Magaria-Mutum.Geels, Jolijn, (2006) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Niger'', pgs. 46Williams, Lizzie, (2012) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Nigeria'', pgs. 57

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Niger-Nigeria border Borders of Niger Borders of Nigeria International borders