President Muhamadu Buhari has revealed that the land borders will soon be opened for trade.
The land borders have been shut to trade since August 2019 save for recent waivers granted to Dangote Groups and other companies.
The president disclosed the new decision through his official tweeter handle.
The official handle tweeted that restriction was put in place to stem the illegal smuggling of weapons.
He noted that he explained to governors during the behind the closed door meeting that the governments of the neighbouring countries have gotten the message.
“In my meeting with state governors today, I explained that the closure of Nigeria’s land borders was partly an attempt to control the smuggling in of weapons and drugs. Now that the message has sunk in with our neighbours, we’re looking into reopening the borders as soon as possible.
“We are investing heavily in weapons and equipment for our military. They have already received armoured cars and other equipment, and aircraft and more will come in. We will continue to give them all the support they need to fight criminals. We must and will secure Nigeria.
“Intelligence-gathering is also very critical to ensure lasting security in Nigeria. In this regard, everyone has a role to play, in addition to the security agencies: Governors, traditional rulers, community leaders, citizens. We must all work to boost intelligence-gathering.”
