The Nigerian government has approved the immediate re-opening of four land borders, following the recommendation of a committee set up to review and to advise President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue of the borders.
The borders were closed in August 2019 to stop the smuggling of petroleum products from Nigeria to its West African neighbours and the importation food products as well as small arms and weapons into the country.
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, stated this while briefing State House correspondents after Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
She said the borders that would be re-opened immediately are Seme Border, South-West; Ilela and Maigatari borders, North-West; and Mfum Border, South-South.
“These four land borders will be opened immediately, while the remaining land borders are directed to be reopened on or before 31st of December, 2020.
“The president has also directed that while the borders are being reopened, the ban on the importation of rice, poultry and other products still subsist and will be implemented by the border patrol team.” The Minister stated.
Mrs Ahmed said the committee that recommended the re-opening of the borders, which she chaired, also had the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister of Interior, Foreign Affairs Minister, the National Security Adviser, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service and the Controller-General of Immigration as members.
Speaking on the gains of the border closure to Nigeria, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, said that, among other things, it gave security agencies an opportunity to assess the problems at the borders, particularly as regards to smuggling.
Adebayo said: “Before the closure, a lot of petroleum products were being smuggled across the borders into West African countries.
“The border closure created a situation where that has practically stopped. They have been able to calculate the amount of petroleum products being smuggled out by calculating the amount that is being lifted now compared to what was being lifted before.
“The issue of rice smuggling into the country has drastically reduced and we are hoping that our agencies will be able to sustain that. So also is the issue of poultry smuggling.
“The closure of the borders put a stop to that. Also very important is the issue of the importation of small arms and weapons into the country. That also has been stopped.”
Zainab Sa’id
