The Federal government has hinted at reopening Nigeria’s land borders soon.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Wednesday.
She spoke after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.
Ahmed said the presidential committee set up on the issue has recommended reopening of the borders.
She said the committee would soon submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari after which a formal pronouncement would be made on the matter.
She said: “The President set up the committee that I chair, alongside the minister of Foreign Affairs and Interior, as well as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and security services to review and advise him on the border closure.
“The committee has completed its work and we will be submitting our report. I’ve signed my copy and I have given every one to sign between today and tomorrow so that we submit the report to Mr. President.”
She, however, explained that the committee had done an assessment of the gains of the closure and had recommended to the President the need to reopen the borders.
Ahmed, who had hinted that the borders would be reopened soon during a roundtable at the 26th Nigerian Economic Summit, said once members of the committee signed the report, it would be submitted to President Buhari.
Nigeria, the largest economy of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), closed its land borders in August last year due to illegal importation of drugs, small arms, and agricultural products into the country from neighbouring West African countries.