Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Boundary Adjustment Policies occupies an important place in the historiography of the Bight of Benin, shaping the region's political and social trajectory in ways still felt today.

Within the period 1967-1999, boundary adjustment policies took on particular significance in the Bight of Benin, reflecting the wider political and economic pressures of the time.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite considerable historical scholarship, the precise role of boundary adjustment policies in the Bight of Benin during 1967-1999 remains a subject of ongoing debate, with existing accounts often relying on incomplete or contested source material. This study re-examines the available historical record to offer a clearer account.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To trace the role of boundary adjustment policies in the Bight of Benin during 1967-1999.
2. To examine the factors that shaped boundary adjustment policies during this period.
3. To assess the consequences of boundary adjustment policies for the Bight of Benin.
4. To situate these findings within the broader historiography of the period.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What role did boundary adjustment policies play in the Bight of Benin during 1967-1999?
2. What factors shaped boundary adjustment policies during this period?
3. What were the consequences of boundary adjustment policies for the Bight of Benin?
4. How do these findings relate to the broader historiography of the period?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to historians and students of history and international studies, contributing a focused account of boundary adjustment policies in the Bight of Benin to the existing historiography, and offering a reference point for future comparative or regional studies.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited chronologically to 1967-1999 and geographically to the Bight of Benin, reflecting a clearly defined scope; developments outside this period and region fall outside its remit.