The Nigerian President, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), met with the Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, bilaterally on Monday in London and gave more insight on why Nigeria’s borders were partially closed.

The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said in a statement in Abuja, that the meeting was held at the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020 sidelines.

The Nigerian President clarified that the partial closure of the borders was not only because food products, rice in particular, were being smuggled into Nigeria, but also because arms and ammunition, as well as addictive drugs were being ferried into Nigeria via its borders.

Buhari said that he could no longer keep watching youths being destroyed via cheap addictive drugs, and could no loner compromise security caused by unbridled influx of small arms.

When most of the vehicles carrying rice and other food products through our land borders are intercepted, you find cheap hard drugs, and small arms, under the food products. This has terrible consequences for any country,

he said.

He went on to say that it was regrettable that the partial border closure was having “negative economic impact on our neighbours,” but added that “we cannot leave our country, particularly the youths, endangered.”

According to him, the Sahel region is flooded with small arms, which adds flame to the severe security challenges in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria.

We are in fact the biggest victims,

he lamented.

On when the borders would be reopened, President Buhari said that that has to wait until the submission and consideration of the final report of a committee set up on the matter.

We will get things sorted out. Our farmers, especially those who grow rice, now have a market, and are happy, and we are also concerned about hard drugs and weapons.

Once the committee comes up with its recommendations, we will sit and consider them,

he said.

President Akufo-Addo showed empathy regarding the need for Nigeria to protect her citizens. However, pleaded for

an expedited process, because the Nigerian market is significant for certain categories of business people in Ghana.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.