GistReel
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has promised to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if he wins the presidency in the 2027 election.
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the declaration while addressing supporters in a video circulating online.
The video was shared on Friday by ADC chieftain Dele Momodu.
Atiku argued that restrictions at Nigeria’s land borders had disrupted legitimate commercial activities and left many young Nigerians without jobs.
He particularly highlighted the importance of cross-border trade to communities in the northern part of the country.
“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,” Atiku said.
‘I am going to reopen the borders’
The former vice president said many young entrepreneurs who previously operated businesses with millions of naira in capital were badly affected by the restrictions.
He noted that some of these businesses also provided employment for other people before they collapsed.
“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 asked.
Atiku linked unemployment and economic hardship to insecurity, arguing that policies affecting legitimate businesses could have wider consequences for society.
“So I said I am going to reopen the borders and I will,” he added.
Atiku targets southern ports
Beyond reopening the borders, Atiku said his administration would seek to improve the country’s port infrastructure to make the transportation of goods across Nigeria easier.
He said he had previously held discussions with shippers and companies involved in port development in Europe about developing ports in southern and south-eastern Nigeria.
“During the last campaign, I went across to Europe to discuss with shippers and ship development companies how we can together develop South and South-Eastern ports so that there is balance as far as importation of goods and transportation of goods are concerned,” he said.
According to Atiku, stronger ports outside Lagos would create alternative routes for moving imported goods to other parts of the country.
He used the movement of containers from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State, as an example of the challenges businesses currently face.
Atiku said he has a factory in Yola and argued that goods could reach the city much faster if they were transported through ports closer to the South-South region.
“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.
“But right now, 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,” Atiku said.
Why Nigeria closed its land borders
Nigeria’s land borders were initially closed in August 2019 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Federal Government said the policy was intended to curb smuggling and protect local industries, particularly domestic agriculture.
Authorities cited the illegal importation of rice, poultry products, petroleum and other commodities, alongside concerns over weapons and drugs.
The government later began reopening some border posts.
In December 2020, Buhari approved the reopening of the Seme Border in Lagos, Illela Border in Sokoto, Maigatari Border in Jigawa and Mfun Border in Cross River.
The Tinubu administration also reopened the Tsamiya land border with Benin Republic in Kebbi State and the Kamba corridor linking Nigeria with Niger Republic in February 2026.
The Nigeria Customs Service said measures would accompany the reopening to prevent smuggling and other illegal activities.
However, while several strategic border crossings have reopened, some remain subject to restrictions and tighter controls.