Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s plan to “reopen” Nigeria’s land borders, saying the country’s borders are already open.
Atiku had said he would reopen the borders with neighbouring countries, including Benin Republic, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, if elected president in 2027.
But Tunji-Ojo, in a statement on Saturday, said the former Vice President’s proposal was based on an inaccurate description of Nigeria’s current border situation.
“As Minister of Interior, with supervisory responsibility for the Nigeria Immigration Service, it is important to clarify that Nigeria’s land borders are not closed and therefore cannot be ‘reopened’ as suggested,” he said.
The minister noted that Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum were reopened on December 16, 2020, while Idiroko and Ikom were reopened to goods and services in April 2022.
He added that Kamba and Tsamiya border crossings in Kebbi State were reopened in February 2026 under the Tinubu administration.
Tunji-Ojo also disputed the suggestion that all restrictions on Nigeria’s borders stemmed from the 2019 trade policy.
He said the closure of the Banki and Amchidé crossings on the Cameroon border began in 2014 because of Boko Haram insurgency, rather than the 2019 trade restrictions.
According to him, the crossings reopened in 2019, while Fotokol and Gambaru followed in 2021 after joint military and stabilisation efforts by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
The minister said some crossings, particularly in areas still affected by banditry or insurgency, remain subject to tighter controls for security reasons.
“Modern border management is not a choice between total closure and unrestricted movement,” Tunji-Ojo said, adding that effective border management requires security, documentation, customs compliance and trade facilitation.
He challenged Atiku to explain how his proposed border policy would differ from the Federal Government’s current approach.
“If the former Vice President has a new border policy, he should present it clearly to Nigerians and explain how it would improve on the measures currently in place,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo said political competition should not become an attempt to “rewrite recent history,” urging that the border debate focus on the actual status of Nigeria’s borders and practical measures to improve trade and legitimate movement.
