Nigeria Reopens Land and Air Borders with Niger Republic Following ECOWAS Directive

President Bola Tinubu has announced the reopening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with Niger Republic, following the directive of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The decision was made public by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement released on Wednesday.

This move comes as a result of the decision reached by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government during its extraordinary summit held on February 24, 2024, in Abuja.

The summit aimed to address the political crises and instability within the region by lifting various sanctions imposed on West African countries, including the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.

The specific measures being lifted on Niger include the reopening of land and air borders, the lifting of the ECOWAS no-fly zone on commercial flights to and from Niger Republic, and the resumption of commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger.

Additionally, asset freezes on Niger’s state enterprises and parastatals, as well as travel bans on government officials and their families, have been lifted.

President Tinubu’s directive aligns with the ECOWAS decision to ease sanctions on Guinea and Mali, while targeted sanctions on Niger Republic persisted following a military coup in July 2023, which ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The lifting of sanctions signifies a step towards the normalization of relations among ECOWAS member states and reflects the efforts to address political crises and instability within the region.