Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to reopen Nigeria’s land borders and develop ports in the southern part of the country if elected president in 2027
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made the promise on Wednesday when a political support group visited him in Abuja
The pledge comes months after the administration of President Bola Tinubu reopened the Kamba and Tsamiya border routes with Niger Republic
The Kamba border was reopened on February 9, 2026, with the Federal Government describing the move as a boost to cross-border trade and economic activities in communities in the area
Atiku, however, said more needed to be done to restore legitimate trans-border trade, particularly along Nigeria’s northern borders with neighbouring countries
He said the closure of the borders had adversely affected legitimate businesses, forcing many young entrepreneurs into bankruptcy and unemployment
According to him, northern states share borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic, making cross-border trade an important source of livelihood for millions of residents
“How can there be security? So I said I’m going to reopen the borders,” he said
The former vice-president also pledged to develop ports in the southern region to create a more balanced system for the importation and transportation of goods across the country
Atiku said he had previously travelled across Europe to engage shipping and ship-development companies on how to develop ports in the South and South-East
“During the last campaign, I went across Europe to discuss with shippers and ship development companies: how can we together develop south and southeastern ports, so that there is balance as far as importation of goods and transportation of goods are concerned,” he said
He said developing ports in Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt would reduce the time and cost of transporting goods to the North-East
Nigeria currently has operational seaports in Lagos, Rivers, Delta and Cross River states
Atiku, who disclosed that he owns a factory in Adamawa State, said transporting a container from Lagos to Yola could take up to two months because of poor road infrastructure
He said reopening the borders and improving port infrastructure would stimulate businesses, facilitate the movement of goods and create more economic opportunities for Nigerians