President Buhari says partial border closure is not to punish Ghana, Benin Republic, and other West African nations

January 20, 2020 9:07 AM

President Buhari with R-L: High Commissioner of Nigeria to UK Justice Adesola Oguntade, Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, Heavy Weight Champion Anthony Joshua, CEO of Diaspora Commission Abike Dabiri, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, Minister of Trade and Investment Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo and other dignitaries during a meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora Living in United Kingdom on 18th Jan 2020

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari says partial closure of Nigeria’s borders is to strengthen the country’s security and economy.
He says the country is using the period of closure for stock-taking on threats to the nation’s security and economy.
Nigeria's inflation rate jumped to 11.98% in December 2019 for the fourth consecutive month as a result of border closures.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has said the partial closure of Nigeria’s borders is not to punish her neighbours but to strengthen the country’s security and economy.

The president stated this over the weekend in the United Kingdom when he met with a select group of the Nigerian Community.

President Buhari with Heavy Weight Champion Anthony Joshua during a meeting with Nigerians in the Diaspora Living in United Kingdom on 18th Jan 2020 Facebook/Femi Adesina

According to Femi Adesina, the media aide to the president, he quoted as a resident as saying that the period of closure will be used for stock-taking on threats to the nation’s security and economy.

He (Buhari) also noted that Nigerian farmers have been celebrating the closure which has drastically reduced the smuggling of agricultural produce as well as arms and ammunition.

Nigeria has said it will not reopen the border until the neighbouring countries complied with the ECOWAS trade agreements.

Last Friday, Nigeria's inflation rate jumped to 11.98% in December 2019 for the fourth consecutive month over spikes in food prices on border closures.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor said the impact of the closure is temporary.