Atiku vows to reopen Nigeria's borders, develop southern ports if elected

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to reopen Nigeria's land borders and develop the country's southern ports if elected president, asserting that the current closures have crippled transborder trade and fueled unemployment.

“

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.

Addressing supporters in a circulating online video, Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), argued that closing borders with neighboring countries like Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin Republic has devastated the livelihoods of young Nigerians involved in legitimate cross-border commerce. "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 stated.

Abubakar highlighted the severe economic consequences, noting that many young entrepreneurs who once managed businesses with millions of naira in capital have gone bankrupt and are now unemployed. "All the upcoming young men and women who used to have a capital of 10 million, 20 million, and they were employing two, three other people, and then all of them went bankrupt and unemployed. How can there be security?" he questioned, linking economic hardship to insecurity.

“

All the upcoming young men and women who used to have a capital of 10 million, 20 million, and they were employing two, three other people, and then all of them went bankrupt and unemployed. How can there be security?

Beyond reopening borders, Abubakar outlined plans to enhance the movement of goods through southern ports. He revealed that during the previous campaign, he engaged with European shippers and development companies to explore ways to develop ports in the South and South-East. This initiative aims to create a more balanced system for importing and transporting goods, reducing the current lengthy and costly process of moving cargo to the northern regions.

“

So I said I am going to reopen the borders and I will.

Abubakar cited the example of transporting a container from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State, which currently takes at least two months due to poor road infrastructure and circuitous routes. He contrasted this with his vision: "So when, if I drop my container in Calabar or in Uyo or in Port Harcourt, it will just take me 24 hours to take the container to Yola." He emphasized that his stance aligns with public concerns regarding trade logistics and port development. Nigeria's land borders were initially closed in August 2019 under the previous administration to combat smuggling and encourage local production, with partial reopenings occurring in December 2020.

“

So when, if I drop my container in Calabar or in Uyo or in Port Harcourt, it will just take me 24 hours to take the container to Yola.