The Presidency has said Nigeria’s land borders are already open, dismissing a campaign promise by the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to reopen them if elected in 2027.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, made this known in a statement on Friday.
Dare said the Federal Government had reopened most of the country’s land borders on March 14, 2024, and had not reversed the decision.
He also cited President Tinubu’s opening of the Kamba border in Kebbi State in February 2026, saying the move had strengthened economic and diplomatic activities.
The presidential aide said if Atiku was referring to easing some of the restrictions at the borders, he should clearly state which controls he plans to remove and how his administration would prevent security threats.
Dare explained that an open border does not mean that security checks and controls should be abandoned.
He said Nigeria must maintain a balance between facilitating legitimate movement and trade and preventing terrorism, smuggling, arms trafficking, human trafficking and other cross-border crimes.
According to him, effective border management requires proper immigration and customs operations, surveillance, intelligence-sharing, technology and cooperation among security agencies.
The Presidency also raised concerns about security challenges in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions, noting that Nigeria shares borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Dare said criminal and terrorist groups could exploit poorly monitored borders to move across countries, making strong border security necessary.
He added that the presence of security forces in parts of the North-East and North-West should not be taken as evidence that Nigeria’s borders are closed.
The presidential aide challenged Atiku to provide detailed policies on how he would improve border security, modernise customs and immigration services, protect border communities and strengthen cooperation with neighbouring countries.
He said Nigerians deserved clear policy proposals rather than campaign promises that suggest reopening borders that are already operational.
The Presidency maintained that Nigeria’s borders should remain accessible to legitimate travellers and businesses while being properly secured against criminals and terrorist groups.
