President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed the immediate reopening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger, along with the lifting of other sanctions imposed on the country.
This directive was conveyed in a statement by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity.
According to the statement, Tinubu’s decision aligns with the resolutions reached by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja.
The ECOWAS leaders agreed to lift economic sanctions against several countries, including the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
Specifically, Tinubu has ordered the immediate lifting of the following sanctions imposed on the Republic of Niger:
1. The closure of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic, as well as the implementation of an ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger Republic.
2. Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, including the freeze of service transactions such as utility services and electricity to Niger Republic.
3. Freeze of assets belonging to the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks, and freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger, state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial banks.
4. Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID and BOAD.
5. Travel bans on government officials and their family members.
Additionally, President Tinubu has approved the lifting of financial and economic sanctions against the Republic of Guinea.
