Atiku’s Border Promise Sparks Fresh Clash As Tinubu’s Minister Declares: “They Aren’t Closed

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has responded to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s promise to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president in 2027.

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

He also promised to reintroduce fuel subsidies, arguing that reopening the borders would help restore trans-border economic activities that had been affected by restrictions on some routes linking Nigeria with neighbouring countries.

However, Tunji-Ojo, whose ministry oversees the Nigeria Immigration Service and is responsible for border and migration management, said Nigeria’s borders are already open and therefore cannot be “reopened.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, the minister outlined the history of border reopenings under previous and current administrations.

He said:

“On 16 December 2020, the previous government reopened Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum, with the rest to follow. Idiroko and Ikom were reopened for goods and services on 20 April 2022, and Kamba and Tsamiya, in Kebbi State, followed under the current administration in February 2026, linking to Niger Republic and Benin Republic respectively.

“The former Vice President named Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic specifically. The prolonged closures on the Cameroon border, at Banki and Amchidé, did not arise from the 2019 trade policy at all. They date to 2014, when Boko Haram forced their closure for security reasons, and reopened in 2019, with Fotokol and Gambaru following in 2021, after joint military and stabilisation efforts by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

“Folding this separate, security-driven history into one continuous 2019 shutdown misrepresents two distinct issues, trade regulation and counter-insurgency, as a single failure.

“Not every northern crossing is fully unrestricted today. Where banditry or residual insurgent activity persists, tighter control is a deliberate security judgement, not neglect, since reopening ahead of the security situation would expose traders and border communities to greater risk.”

Tunji-Ojo stressed that modern border management should not be viewed as a choice between completely shutting borders and allowing unrestricted movement.

According to him, effective border management requires a combination of security measures, proper documentation, customs compliance and controlled facilitation of legitimate trade.

The minister also cautioned against allowing political competition to distort recent developments in Nigeria’s border policies.

“If he has a new border proposal, he should set it out and explain how it differs from the current approach, rather than treating separate trade, security and infrastructure issues as one and the same,” Tunji-Ojo said.