Former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has declared his support for closure of borders in Nigeria.
Okay.ng reports in August that President Muhammadu Buhari had confirmed the closure of boarders to combat smuggling of rice.
In reaction to the move, emir Sanusi while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday said he is in support of the decision and the closure is the only method of enforcing Nigeria’s anti-smuggling laws.
He said: “Closing the borders becomes indispensable because our neighbouring countries are not helping us to protect our economy. For instance, if you want to protect rice farmers, you have to impose heavy taxation on the importation of foreign rice into the country.
“Therefore, any country that allows smuggling of rice into Nigeria through its borders is doing that at the expense of our farmers who could not withstand competition with foreign producers. Besides rice and other food items, you must also understand that all the illicit drugs get into this country through the land borders.
“So sometimes it is important to take these difficult decisions so that we get the cooperation and collaboration of Customs officials across the borders. It is something that I wholeheartedly support. I think it is temporary and I think it will lead to improvement.”
