Border closure has encouraged smuggling – Nigerian lawmakers claim

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Industry, Trade, and Investment says the closure of Nigeria’s land borders has opened the door for bandits to roam free in Nigeria’s border states with Niger and Chad Republic.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Industry, Francis Fadaunsi (PDP, Osun East), slammed the government for the closure, insisting that the borders are better off open.

He cited the departure of Niger Republic and Chad from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a major stumbling block.

According to him, since these countries opened their borders, insecurity has heightened.

“Border closure is hampering economic fortunes of the country because rather than curb smuggling, it encourages it.

“For example, on rice production alone, the largest percentage of 4m tonnes shortfall is being smuggled into the country since local producers are only producing 3m tonnes out of the expected consumption rate of 7m tonnes,” he said.

Other lawmakers held that the border closure was nothing but a farce.

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“Going by free movement of people and even criminals across the borders, it is time for us, to stop fooling ourselves with border closure,” a Committee member representing Nangero/Potiskum Federal Constituency, Yobe State, Fatima Talba, said.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, was then advised to consult with President Tinubu on the issue of the border closure.

The sum of N3.8bn for capital expenditure in the 2025 fiscal year, N4.65bn for personnel cost, N1.45bn for overhead and N24bn for projected revenue was presented was presented to the committee by the Minister.