Twenty-four years after the International Court of Justice ruled on the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary, the physical demarcation of the border between the two countries is nearing completion, according to an official involved in the process.

The announcement marks a milestone in one of Africa's longest-running boundary implementation exercises. The ICJ delivered its judgment in the case concerning the land and maritime boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria, and the underlying disputes have shaped bilateral relations between the two neighbours ever since.

What has the official announced?

A Nigerian official has confirmed that the demarcation work — the process of translating the court's boundary determination into pillars and markers on the ground — is close to completion. This comes nearly a quarter-century after the ICJ handed down its ruling.

The statement signals that the operational phase of implementing the judgment, which has proceeded in stages over more than two decades, is approaching its endpoint.

Why does the timeline matter?

Twenty-four years is a long interval between a judgment and its full physical implementation on the ground. Boundary demarcation after adjudication typically involves:

• Joint technical committees from both states
• Field surveys and placement of boundary pillars
• Resolution of sectors where terrain or local conditions complicate the work
• Bilateral agreement on each segment before markers go into the ground

The near-completion report indicates that these stages have now substantially run their course for the Nigeria-Cameroon boundary.

What does this mean for practitioners?

For lawyers and advisers working on cross-border matters in West and Central Africa, the reported near-completion of demarcation brings greater legal certainty to the boundary line. Companies, investors and government agencies operating near the border will increasingly be able to rely on a fully demarcated and agreed frontier rather than contested or ambiguous segments. Practitioners handling land title, resource and jurisdictional questions in the region should track the formal conclusion of the demarcation exercise, as it may trigger administrative updates to maps, registries and boundary documentation on both sides.

What is the wider significance?

The Nigeria-Cameroon boundary process has long served as a reference point for how judicial settlement of border disputes translates into practical implementation. The ICJ ruling set the legal boundary; the demarcation work that followed has given it physical effect.

If the process concludes as the official indicated, it would close a chapter that opened 24 years ago with the court's decision and would leave both states with a settled, marked frontier. Officials on both sides have framed the exercise as a model of peaceful resolution of territorial differences through international law rather than confrontation.

The report does not specify a final completion date, and the closing stages of demarcation exercises can still involve technical verification. The official's statement, however, places the process squarely in its final phase.