Atiku Abubakar Pledges to Reopen Nigeria's Land Borders

Presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, pledged in a video released Friday to reopen all closed land borders and modernize port infrastructure if elected president in 2027. Abubakar argued that the closure of borders with Benin Republic, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon has crippled legitimate trans-border trade and driven young entrepreneurs into bankruptcy, which he linked to increased national insecurity.

To further stimulate the economy, Abubakar proposed decentralizing maritime trade by developing ports in Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Uyo. He cited his own factory in Adamawa State to illustrate current logistical failures, claiming that transporting containers from Lagos to Yola currently takes two months, whereas southern ports could reduce that transit time to 24 hours.

Reno Omokri, the ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, cautioned against these proposals. Omokri argued that simultaneously reopening borders and reintroducing fuel subsidies would trigger massive petroleum smuggling to neighboring nations and allow terrorists and bandits to flood Nigeria with light weapons and ammunition. He asserted that borders must be adequately secured with sufficient personnel before any full reopening to avoid risking economic stability and national security.

Nigeria's land borders were originally shut in 2019 under Muhammadu Buhari to curb smuggling and protect local farmers. While some routes have since been reopened in phases under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Abubakar's proposal advocates for a more comprehensive reopening.