ABSTRACT
Joint Development Agreements (JDAs) have been utilised in different parts of the world as a provisional measure in situations where two or more States independently claim ownership of resources in an overlapping maritime zone. The use of JDAs does not necessarily mean that the parties have settled their maritime boundary disputes; rather, JDAs encourage joint exploitation of the disputed maritime areas pending final delimitation of the parties' respective maritime boundaries. This chapter discusses that JDAs can be used as an effective tool in curbing the conflicts and uncertainties that arise as a result of maritime boundary disputes. The Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe JDA will serve as a classic case study to show the benefits in the use of a JDA, while the Nigeria-Cameroon conflict will serve as a warning on the potential dangers that may arise where a JDA is not utilised.
