Check Your Facts!” – Presidency Fires Back At Atiku, Insists Nigeria’s Borders Are Open

The presidency has responded to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s promise to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president in the 2027 general election.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had said his administration would reopen the country’s land borders to promote cross-border trade and support businesses engaged in regional commerce.

However, reacting to the proposal, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, said the Federal Government had already reopened most of Nigeria’s land borders on March 14, 2024.

Dare also highlighted the reopening of the Kamba border in Kebbi State by President Tinubu on February 14, 2026, noting that the development had delivered economic and diplomatic benefits.

The presidential aide questioned which borders Atiku intended to reopen, given the government’s existing policy, and asked whether the former vice-president was proposing the removal or relaxation of some current security measures.

Dare said Atiku should clearly state which border controls he plans to remove, why such changes are necessary, and how his administration would prevent security threats, including terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking and other forms of organised transnational crime.

He stressed that reopening borders should not be confused with removing security controls, noting that effective border management is designed to encourage legitimate movement and trade while preventing criminals and terrorist groups from exploiting those same routes.

According to him, Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, particularly the increasingly transnational nature of terrorist threats, make effective border management critical to national security.

Dare added that while political disagreements are an important part of democracy, claims concerning national security and the economy should be based on facts, a proper understanding of existing institutions and a clear alternative policy agenda.