Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to reopen Nigeria’s land borders and improve southern ports if elected president in 2027.
Atiku said border restrictions had disrupted legitimate transborder trade, pushed young entrepreneurs out of business and worsened unemployment.
Speaking in a video shared by ADC chieftain Dele Momodu, he argued that reopening the borders would help restore economic activities across communities bordering Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic.
He said, “I am going to reopen the borders and I will,” stressing that many young Nigerians who previously operated businesses with millions of naira in capital had been forced out of business.
The ADC candidate also pledged to develop ports in the South to improve the movement of goods to other parts of the country.
According to him, stronger ports in places such as Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt would reduce the time and cost of transporting goods to the North-East.
Atiku cited the movement of containers from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State, saying poor road infrastructure and the long distance made the journey unnecessarily difficult.
He said his proposed port development plan was aimed at creating a better balance in importation and transportation of goods across the country.
Nigeria’s land borders were largely closed in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as part of efforts to curb smuggling and encourage local production. Some border posts have since been reopened under subsequent administrations, although restrictions remain at some crossings.
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