Isaac Samuel
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to reopen Nigeria’s land borders with Niger Republic, Benin Republic, Cameroon and Chad if elected president in 2027.
Atiku said the border restrictions had disrupted legitimate cross-border trade and negatively affected young Nigerians and businesses operating in communities along the country’s borders.
The former Vice President made the pledge while addressing supporters in a video, arguing that transborder trade remained a legitimate economic activity for many Nigerians.
“The Northern states is bordering Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin Republic. And you close all those borders.
“All our young men who are doing trading between these countries, they carry goods across, they do this and that, all what we call transborder trade is a legitimate business,” he said.
Atiku said many young Nigerians who had invested in cross-border businesses and employed workers were forced to shut down their operations following the restrictions.
He argued that closing businesses and eliminating sources of employment could worsen unemployment and insecurity, rather than address the challenges.
“So I said I am going to reopen the borders and I will,” Atiku said.
He also promised to develop ports in the South and South-East to facilitate the movement of goods from coastal areas to northern parts of the country.
According to him, improved port infrastructure in areas such as Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt would provide faster alternatives for transporting imported goods to the North-East.
Atiku said he had held discussions with shippers and ship development companies in Europe on the development of southern ports.
He cited the difficulty of transporting containers from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State, as an example of the challenges posed by the existing transport infrastructure.
“At present, it takes me not less than two months to take my container from Lagos because you have to cross over from South-West, you go to North-East, and then there is even no road,” he said.
Nigeria’s land borders were largely closed in August 2019 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari as part of measures to curb smuggling and protect domestic production.
The Federal Government at the time cited the smuggling of rice, poultry products, petroleum products, weapons and drugs among the reasons for the restrictions.
Some border crossings, including Seme in Lagos, Illela in Sokoto, Maigatari in Jigawa and Mfun in Cross River, were reopened in December 2020.
Although additional border corridors have since been reopened, the Nigeria Customs Service continues to enforce controls aimed at curbing smuggling and other illicit activities.
