The presidency has faulted former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s pledge to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president in 2027.
In a statement issued on Friday, Sunday Dare, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and public communication, said the federal government reopened most of the country’s land borders on March 14, 2024, and had not reversed the decision.
The presidency’s response followed a recent declaration by Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), that he would reopen the borders to revive legitimate trans-border trade and support businesses if elected president.
He also pledged to develop ports in southern Nigeria to create a more balanced system for importing and transporting goods.
‘OPEN BORDER IS NOT UNCONTROLLED BORDER’
However, Dare said it was unclear which borders Atiku intended to reopen.
“On February 14, 2026, President Tinubu opened the Kamba borders in Kebbi state, with attendant economic and diplomatic gains,” he said.
The presidential aide said if Atiku meant relaxing existing border controls, he should explain which controls he intended to remove and how his administration would address security risks.
“If he means he would relax existing border controls, then Nigerians deserve to know precisely which controls he intends to remove, why he considers their removal necessary, and what safeguards his administration would deploy against terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking, and other forms of transnational organised crime,” Dare said.
He stressed that an open border did not mean an uncontrolled border, arguing that legitimate movement and trade must be balanced with national security.
“An open border is not an uncontrolled border. Modern border management is designed to facilitate legitimate movement, trade and economic interaction while preventing criminals and terrorist organisations from exploiting the same channels,” he said.
Dare said effective border management requires immigration control, customs administration, intelligence-sharing, surveillance, technology and coordinated security operations.
‘ATIKU SHOULD OFFER CREDIBLE ALTERNATIVE’
The presidential aide also linked border management to Nigeria’s security challenges in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.
He noted that Nigeria’s borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon require effective monitoring, arguing that terrorist and criminal networks could exploit weak controls.
He cited the Global Terrorism Index 2026 as stating that about 41 percent of terrorist attacks occur within 50 kilometres of an international border, while about 64 percent occur within 100 kilometres.
“The implications for Nigeria are obvious. As domestic insurgencies evolve into increasingly networked and transnational terrorist threats, effective border management becomes an indispensable component of national security,” he said.
Dare said Atiku, having previously served as vice-president, should understand the distinction between facilitating legitimate commerce and weakening border security.
He challenged the ADC presidential candidate to provide details of how he would improve border surveillance, intelligence-sharing, customs and immigration operations, technology deployment and regional security cooperation.
Dare said Nigerians deserve a policy conversation based on facts rather than campaign slogans.
“While political contestation is legitimate in a democracy, statements about national security and the Nigerian economy should be grounded in facts, institutional understanding, and a credible alternative policy agenda,” he said.
He added that Tinubu’s administration remained open to scrutiny but insisted that Nigeria’s borders must remain open to legitimate commerce while being secured against terrorists and criminals