Atiku’s Border and Port Promises - A Pledge of Economic Rebalancing

Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s Former Vice President, now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)

Atiku’s Border and Port Promises - A Pledge of Economic Rebalancing

Nigeria’s Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, now the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has once again placed economic revitalization at the heart of his campaign.

In a recent address shared online, Atiku pledged to reopen Nigeria’s land borders and develop southern ports if elected president, framing these moves as essential to restoring trade, employment, and national security.

Atiku’s critique of the border closures is rooted in their impact on transborder trade. He argued that shutting Nigeria’s borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin Republic devastated legitimate businesses, particularly those run by young entrepreneurs who relied on cross-border commerce.

Many of these traders, he noted, had invested millions of naira and employed others, only to be driven into bankruptcy and unemployment when the borders were sealed. 

For Atiku, reopening the borders is not just about trade; it is about restoring livelihoods and reducing insecurity by tackling the economic despair that fuels instability. “All the upcoming young men and women who used to have a capital of 10 million, 20 million, and they were employing two, three other people, and then all of them went bankrupt and unemployed. How can there be security?” he asked. “So I said I am going to reopen the borders and I will,” he added..

Equally significant is his promise to develop ports in the South and South-East. Atiku revealed that he had previously engaged European shipping companies to explore partnerships for port expansion. His vision is to balance the flow of goods across Nigeria, reducing the reliance on Lagos ports and easing the logistical bottlenecks that currently plague the system. 

He illustrated the inefficiency by citing his own experience: transporting containers from Lagos to Yola in Adamawa State can take up to two months, whereas using ports in Calabar, Uyo, or Port Harcourt could cut the journey to just 24 hours.

“So when, if I drop my container in Calabar or in Uyo or in Port Harcourt, it will just take me 24 hours to take the container to Yola.

“But right now, it takes me not less than two months to take my container from Lagos because you have to cross over from South-West, you go to North-East, and then there is even no road,” Atiku said.

These pledges must be understood against the backdrop of Nigeria’s border policy history. Borders were closed in 2019 under President Muhammadu Buhari to combat smuggling and encourage local production, with partial reopenings in 2020 and further adjustments under President Bola Tinubu in 2026.

While successive governments have balanced security concerns with economic realities, Atiku’s stance leans heavily toward liberalizing trade and infrastructure development.

The editorial question, however, is whether these promises can be realized in practice. Reopening borders may indeed revive commerce, but it also risks reigniting smuggling networks unless accompanied by robust enforcement.

Similarly, port development requires not just international partnerships but also domestic political will, funding, and coordination across federal and state governments. Atiku’s proposals are ambitious, but they highlight a broader debate: should Nigeria prioritize openness and trade facilitation, or continue to emphasize protectionism and security?

Ultimately, Atiku’s campaign message resonates with communities who have borne the brunt of restrictive policies. His promises of border reopening and port development are not merely technical adjustments; they are symbolic of a broader vision to reorient Nigeria’s economy toward inclusivity and efficiency.

Whether voters will embrace this vision remains to be seen, but the stakes, for trade, jobs, and national cohesion, could not be higher.