President Bola Tinubu has directed the reopening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger, along with the lifting of other sanctions imposed against the country, as reported by Okay.ng.
The move comes in compliance with decisions made by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during an extraordinary summit held on February 24, 2024, in Abuja.
Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed the directive in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The decision marks a significant shift after Nigeria closed its borders with the landlocked West African nation following a coup that ousted Mohamed Bazoum as the democratically elected president on July 26, 2023.
Ngelale’s statement outlined the specific sanctions being lifted, including:
- Closure of Borders: The closure of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic will be lifted, along with the ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger Republic.
- Commercial and Financial Transactions: Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, including a freeze on service transactions such as utility services and electricity to Niger Republic.
- Asset Freeze: The freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks and commercial banks, including assets of state enterprises and parastatals.
- Financial Assistance Suspension: Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with financial institutions, particularly EBID and BOAD.
- Travel Bans: Removal of travel bans on government officials and their family members.
President Tinubu’s directive also extends to the Republic of Guinea, with the approval of lifting financial and economic sanctions against the country.
