President Bola Tinubu has instructed the reopening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger and the removal of other sanctions against the country, effective immediately.
This directive was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement on Wednesday, March 13th.
Ngelale mentioned that this decision aligns with the resolutions made by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja. During the summit, ECOWAS leaders agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
President Tinubu‘s directives include lifting the following sanctions imposed on the Republic of Niger:
1. Closure of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic, and the ECOWAS no-fly zone on commercial flights to and from Niger Republic.
2. Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, including utility services and electricity to the Niger Republic.
3. Freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks and commercial banks.
4. Suspension of Niger from financial assistance and transactions with financial institutions, including EBID and BOAD.
5. Travel bans on government officials and their family members.
Additionally, President Tinubu has authorized the lifting of financial and economic sanctions against the Republic of Guinea. These sanctions were imposed following the military coup in Niger Republic on July 26, 2023, which ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
