By Ekuson Nw’OgbunkaAbuja in Abuja
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has responded to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s pledge to reopen Nigeria’s land borders in 2027, saying the statement distorts facts and ignores ongoing border management efforts.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Minister said Nigerian borders are not closed and therefore the promise to “reopen” them is misleading. He stressed that border management today is guided by security, documentation and trade facilitation.
He recalled that the previous government reopened four major borders on December 16, 2020, Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum, while Idiroko and Ikom followed on April 20, 2022 for goods and services.
Under the current administration, he said, Kamba and Tsamiya borders in Kebbi State were also reopened in February 2026 to strengthen trade links with Niger and Benin Republics.
Tunji-Ojo specifically addressed Atiku’s reference to Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin. He explained that closures at Banki and Amchidé on the Cameroon border began in 2014 due to Boko Haram, not the 2019 trade policy, and were reopened in 2019, with Fotokol and Gambaru reopened in 2021 after regional security operations.
He argued that lumping trade policy and counter-insurgency measures together as one failure misrepresents government actions over the last six years.
The Minister acknowledged that some northern crossings remain under tighter control due to banditry and insurgency, describing it as a deliberate security decision to protect traders and communities.
“If he has a new border proposal, he should set it out and explain how it differs from the current approach, rather than treating separate trade, security and infrastructure issues as one and the same,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
