The Federal Government has ordered the reopening of land and air borders with Niger Republic, News About Nigeria reports.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
Ngelale also noted that the President has directed the lifting of financial, economic, and other sanctions against the country with immediate effect.
In the statement titled ‘Nigeria opens land and air borders with Republic of Niger, lifts other sanctions’, Ngelale stated that the 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, has been lifted.
President Tinubu’s directive is, however, coming just days after the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government lifted economic and travel sanctions on Niger, Mali, and Guinea at its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja.
Recall that ECOWAS leaders had agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
The statement reads in part, “Consequently, the President has directed that the following sanctions imposed on the Republic of Niger be lifted immediately
“Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, as well as a freeze of all service transactions, including utility services and electricity to the Niger Republic.
“Freeze 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.”
