FG Directs Immediate Opening of Nigeria’s Land, Air Borders with Niger Republic

•Lifts other sanctions including travel bans on govt officials, family members

•Approves lifting of economic, financial sanctions against Republic of Guinea

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has directed the opening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger as well as the lifting of other sanctions against the country with immediate effect.

The latest directive, according to a statement issued yesterday, by presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, was in compliance with the decisions of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its last extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja.

ECOWAS leaders had at the Summit agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.

Owing to this, the President directed that the following sanctions imposed on the Republic of Niger be lifted immediately: “Closure of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic, as well as ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger Republic.

“Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, as well as freeze of all service transactions, including utility services and electricity to Niger Republic.

“Freezing of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks and freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger, state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial banks.

“Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID and BOAD.

“Travel bans on government officials and their family members.”

Also, it disclosed that Tinubu also approved the lifting of financial and economic sanctions against the Republic of Guinea.

The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State had at its last extraordinary summit held in Abuja on Saturday, February 24, 2024, resolved to immediately lift some of the sanctions imposed on Niger, Mali and Guinea, in response to unconstitutional change of government in the three countries.

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, who made the disclosure while presenting the communique issued at the end of the Extraordinary Summit, had however, clarified that political and targeted sanctions were still in force against the three nations.

According to him, while the political and targeted sanctions on Niger Republic remain, the regional bloc lifted some financial and economic sanctions on Guinea and some targeted sanctions on Mali.

On sanctions, Touray, had said the Authority resolved to lift with immediate effect the following measures imposed on the Republic of Niger: “Closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger to be lifted, no Fly Zone of all commercial flights to and from Niger is to be lifted and suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger is to be lifted.”

The Authority, he said, also resolved that the “freezing of all service transactions including utility services is to be lifted.

“Freezing of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central banks is to be lifted.

“Freezing of assets of Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks is to be lifted.

“Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions particularly ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) and BIRD is to be lifted.

“Travel ban on the government officials and their family members is also to be lifted.”