Jubilation In Seme As FG Orders Immediate Reopening Major Land Borders

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate reopening of four major land borders in Nigeria.

The four borders are Seme in the South-west part of the country, Ilela in the North-west part of the country, Maitagari in the North-west part of the country and Mfun in the South-south part of the country.

Nigeria’s finance minister, Zainab Ahmed, made this disclosure at the end of Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

While the four borders are to be immediately reopened, “the ban on importation of rice, poultry and other banned products still subsists and will be implemented by border patrol team,” Mrs Ahmed said.

The four land land borders will be reopened immediately while the remaining borders are directed to be reopened on or before 31st of December, 2020.

According to the minister, Mr. President has also directed on the reopening of the borders that while others are being reopened, the ban on importation of rice, poultry and other banned products still subsists and will be implemented by border patrol team.

Nigeria shut its land borders last year as parts of government’s sustained efforts to check smuggling and other illicit cross-border activities.

The government hinted that it would open the border after the nation fell into its second recession in five years, according to GDP data released by the National Bureau of Statistics for the third quarter of 2020.

Policy experts have said that lifting the blockade will help check the recession, the nation’s worst in decades, and ease the economic hardship faced by its citizens.