Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected in 2027, saying the restrictions have damaged cross-border commerce and deprived many young Nigerians of their livelihoods. The former vice president made the pledge in a video shared online by ADC chieftain, Dele Momodu, on Friday, while […]

Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected in 2027, saying the restrictions have damaged cross-border commerce and deprived many young Nigerians of their livelihoods.

The former vice president made the pledge in a video shared online by ADC chieftain, Dele Momodu, on Friday, while outlining his plans for trade, transportation and economic development.

Atiku argued that Nigeria’s geographical position, particularly its northern borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic, makes cross-border commerce an important source of economic activity for many Nigerians. He said shutting the borders had severely disrupted businesses operating along those routes.

He explained that several young entrepreneurs who previously invested millions of naira in trading across neighbouring countries were forced out of business after the restrictions took effect. According to him, the collapse of such businesses also affected employees who depended on them for their livelihoods.

The ADC candidate linked the economic hardship created by the border restrictions to the country’s security challenges, questioning how the government could expect improved security when young people who once had businesses and jobs were left without sustainable sources of income.

He therefore promised that his administration would reopen the borders, insisting that legitimate transborder trade should be encouraged while appropriate measures are maintained to tackle criminal activities and smuggling.

Beyond the borders, Atiku said he was also interested in expanding the capacity of ports in southern Nigeria. He disclosed that he had previously held discussions in Europe with shippers and companies involved in port development over possible ways of strengthening ports in the South and South-East.

According to him, developing ports in locations such as Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt would help create a more balanced transportation network and reduce the dependence on Lagos for goods destined for other parts of the country.

Atiku illustrated the problem with the movement of containers from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State, where he said he owns a factory. He complained that poor road infrastructure and the long route from the South-West to the North-East could make the transportation of a container take as long as two months.

He said a container discharged at a southern port could potentially reach Yola within about 24 hours if the necessary infrastructure was available, thereby reducing both transportation time and costs for businesses.

Nigeria’s land borders were closed in August 2019 during the Buhari administration as part of efforts to curb smuggling and encourage domestic production. The government had cited the illegal movement of rice, poultry products, petroleum, weapons, drugs and other goods among the major concerns.

Some borders were subsequently reopened in December 2020, including Seme in Lagos, Illela in Sokoto, Maigatari in Jigawa and Mfun in Cross River.

The Tinubu administration also reopened the Tsamiya border with Benin Republic in Kebbi State and the Kamba corridor linking Nigeria to Niger Republic in February 2026. However, while some strategic border crossings have resumed operations, other locations remain subject to restrictions and tighter controls.