No date yet for reopening of borders, Nigerian govt insists

The Federal Government Monday insisted that no date had been set for the reopening of the nation’s land borders shut since August, 2019.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mariam Katagum disclosed this in Abuja on Monday during a chat with journalists, adding that the Federal Government had held strategic meetings with Benin Republic and Niger to reach an agreement on modalities for the border reopening.

According to her, one of the things agreed at the meeting was the setting up of a joint border patrol team made up of security personnel from customs, airforce and other security agencies.

The minister added that recommendations from the patrol team on whether Niger and Benin Republic had complied with trade protocols will determine if the borders would be reopened or not.

She said: “We had the strategic meeting with the three countries and what we agreed with our neighbors is to activate a joint border patrol and that border patrol comprising the customs, all the security agencies and ensure to try to follow the actual protocol laid by ECOWAS.

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“The committee met on November 25 and it is only when that committee is certain that all the countries are respecting the ECOWAS protocol that they will recommend a day for the opening of the border.”

Also speaking at the chat with journalists, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, said that the ministry was currently carrying out a review of the country’s trade policy as well as the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan to reflect current economic realities.

He also hinted that the nation’s automotive policy is being reviewed, and that a meeting would be held with stakeholders in the auto sector on January 28 to get their input to the policy.

He further hinted that after the stakeholders’ meeting, the executive would present a bill to the National Assembly for the policy to become law.

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