2027: Atiku promises to reopen borders, develop southern ports if elected

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has promised to reopen Nigeria’s land borders with neighbouring countries and develop ports in the southern region if elected president.

Mr Abubakar said the closure of the borders had negatively affected transborder trade and contributed to unemployment, particularly among young people who depended on cross-border businesses for their livelihoods.

The former vice president made the remarks while explaining his plans to address insecurity, unemployment and the high cost of moving goods across the country.

He said the northern states shared borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic, making cross-border trade an important component of the regional economy.

“The Northern states is bordering Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin Republic.

“And you close all those borders. All our young men who are doing trading between these countries, they carry goods across, they do this and that, all what we call transborder trade is a legitimate business,” Mr Abubakar said.

According to him, many young Nigerians who previously operated businesses with capital running into millions of naira were forced out of business following the closure of the borders.

“All the upcoming young men and women who used to have a capital of 10 million, 20 million, and they were employing two, three other people, and then all of them went bankrupt and unemployed. How can there be security?” he asked.

“So I said I am going to reopen the borders and I will,” he added.

Mr Abubakar also pledged to improve port infrastructure in the southern part of the country to facilitate the movement of goods and create a more balanced transportation network.

He said he had previously explored opportunities for developing ports in the South-South and South-East regions through discussions with international shippers and port development companies.

“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.

The ADC candidate said developing the southern ports would also reduce the time and cost of transporting goods to the northern parts of the country.

He cited the movement of containers from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State, where he said he had a factory, as an example of the challenges facing businesses.

According to him, goods arriving through ports closer to the South-East or South-South could reach the North-East more quickly than those routed through Lagos.

“So when, if I drop my container in Calabar or in Uyo or in Port Harcourt, it will just take me 24 hours to take the container to Yola.

“But right now, it takes me not less than two months to take my container from Lagos because you have to cross over from South-West, you go to North-East, and then there is even no road,” Mr Abubakar said.

He said improving the country’s transportation and port infrastructure was necessary to lower logistics costs, facilitate trade and create employment opportunities.

Mr Abubakar said his position on reopening the borders and developing southern ports was informed by the concerns of Nigerians who depend on the movement of goods and cross-border trade for their livelihoods.