The Presidency has reacted to the recent declaration by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, that he would “open the borders” if elected in 2027. In a statement, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, said the Federal Government announced the reopening of most of […]
The Presidency has reacted to the recent declaration by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, that he would “open the borders” if elected in 2027.
In a statement, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, said the Federal Government announced the reopening of most of the country’s land borders on 14 March 2024, and it has not reversed that position.
He said it was difficult to understand which borders the former Vice President intends to “open” when the borders are already open.
Dare also recalled that on February 14, 2026, President Tinubu opened the Kamba borders in Kebbi State.
The statement said Nigerians deserve to know precisely which controls Atiku 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.
While alleging that Atiku can announce “anything to attract and deceive the politically gullible,” the Presidency said the “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.”
“Effective border governance therefore requires a combination of immigration control, customs administration, intelligence-sharing, surveillance, technology and coordinated security operations.”
The statement explained that the situation is particularly important for Nigeria because “our northern security environment cannot be divorced from developments across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin.
“As Atiku rightly acknowledged, Nigeria shares borders with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. While the region continues to confront terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organised crime have proven to be domestic disturbances that have found border porosity as a channel for their export to other countries.
“The security reality is compelling. The Global Terrorism Index 2026 indicates that approximately 41 per cent of terrorist attacks occur within 50 kilometres of an international border, while about 64 per cent occur within 100 kilometres. Borderlands are particularly vulnerable where difficult terrain, limited state presence and weak coordination create opportunities for terrorist organisations to operate.”
The statement explained that 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.
“What Nigerians should reasonably expect from a presidential aspirant is not a slogan about “opening borders,” but a detailed explanation of how his administration would improve border surveillance, strengthen intelligence-sharing with neighbouring states, modernise customs and immigration operations, deploy technology, protect border communities and deepen regional cooperation against terrorism and organised crime.
He said Nigeria’s borders must be open to legitimate commerce and movement, “but secure against terrorists and criminals. They must be monitored with technology, led by intelligence, and integrated into the country’s broader national-security and economic strategy.”
