Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to reopen Nigeria’s land borders and to invest in southern port infrastructure if elected president, saying current restrictions have harmed transborder trade and worsened youth unemployment.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the promise in a campaign video shared online on Friday by ADC chieftain Dele Momodu. Speaking to supporters, he described the informal cross-border economy as legitimate commerce that has been crippled by prolonged border closures.
“The Northern states border Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic. And you close all those borders,” Atiku said in the recording. “All our young men who are doing trading between these countries… all what we call transborder trade is a legitimate business.” He added that many young entrepreneurs who once ran businesses with capital “of 10 million, 20 million” naira, employing several people, have been driven into bankruptcy and unemployment since the closures.
“So I said I am going to reopen the borders and I will,” he said, arguing that reopening would restore livelihoods and ease the security problems that stem from mass unemployment. “How can there be security?” he asked rhetorically, linking economic dislocation to instability.
Port development, logistics and the North-East
Atiku also said he has been discussing port and shipping development with industry players. “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.
He argued that more efficient southern ports would reduce costs and transit times for goods destined for the North-East. Citing his own business interests, he said a container for his factory in Yola, Adamawa State, would take about 24 hours to reach the city if discharged at ports such as Calabar, Uyo or Port Harcourt; by contrast, current routing from Lagos can take “not less than two months” because of circuitous routes and poor road links.
Atiku framed port development as part of a broader logistics and infrastructure strategy that would improve regional access and create jobs. He said such measures would also help achieve a more balanced distribution of import and transport activity across the country.
History of closures and partial reopenings
Nigeria’s land borders were closed in August 2019 under President Muhammadu Buhari. The administration said the closures were necessary to stem large-scale smuggling of rice, poultry products, petroleum and other goods, curb illicit arms and drug flows, and to protect and encourage local agricultural production.
Some borders were later reopened in phases. In December 2020, four border posts — including Seme (Lagos), Illela (Sokoto), Maigatari (Jigawa) and Mfun (Cross River) — were returned to limited operations. In February 2026, the Tinubu administration announced the reopening of the Tsamiya land border in Kebbi State with Benin and the Kamba corridor linking Nigeria and Niger, with authorities saying reopening would come with stricter measures to deter smuggling.
Despite these moves, many land routes remain under tight control or restricted, and customs officials continue to emphasise the need for robust enforcement and infrastructure before full reopening. The Nigeria Customs Service has repeatedly warned that any further reopening must be accompanied by improved surveillance, better staffing and inter-agency cooperation to prevent renewed smuggling and illicit trade.
Policy questions and political context
Atiku’s announcement arrives as campaigning intensifies ahead of the next general election. The pitch to reopen borders and expand port capacity seeks to appeal to traders, transport operators and young people who have been hardest hit by border restrictions and poor logistics.
Policy analysts say reopening borders could revive legitimate cross-border commerce and restore livelihoods, but caution that success would hinge on comprehensive reforms. Those reforms would likely include modernising customs operations, investing in border infrastructure and transport corridors, strengthening intelligence-sharing with neighbouring countries, and ensuring anti-smuggling measures are enforceable without stifling legitimate trade.
Funding and implementation are additional hurdles. Developing new or underused southern ports and improving hinterland connectivity — including roads and rail links to the North-East — would require substantial public investment and private-sector partnerships, plus long-term maintenance commitments.
Atiku’s proposals also raise security considerations. Critics of full reopening argue that porous borders can facilitate trafficking in arms and narcotics and complicate efforts to tackle insurgency and organised crime unless enforcement and regional coordination are significantly strengthened.
Campaign reactions
The ADC circulated the video as evidence of its candidate’s economic and infrastructural agenda. Dele Momodu, who shared the clip, hailed the plan as responsive to grassroots concerns about jobs and trade.
Government agencies and political opponents did not immediately respond to the announcement on Friday. Observers say the proposal will likely prompt debate across the political spectrum about the balance between economic openness and security, and the practical steps necessary to operationalise any large-scale changes to border and port policy.
Saheed Oyelakin writes on politics and metro affairs for Punch Newspapers. He has covered technology, sports and human-interest stories, and focuses on clear, engaging reporting across diverse beats.
