Finance minister indicates Nigeria may reopen borders soon

... as FEC approves N17.7bn for erosion control

Indications have emerged that Nigeria may soon reopen its borders to full economic activities. Zainab Ahmed, minister of finance, budget and national planning, said at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday that Presidentmuhammadubuhari is expected to receive reports on the border closure soon.

Ahmed, while responding to a question on when Nigerian borders, which were shut in August last year, would be reopened, said the president would soon receive a report of a presidential committee to advise on the reopening of the borders, although she did not give details of the content of the report.

She said the committee set up by President Buhari had done an assessment of the gains of the closure and had recommended to the president to reopen the borders. The committee has as members the ministers of finance, budget and national planning, interior, and foreign affairs.

Ahmed said once members of the committee sign the report, it would be submitted, but she was silent on the day of submission and also on possible date of reopening the borders.

Nigeria, the largest economy and the most prosperous of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), had in August last year shut its land borders on account of illegal importation of drugs, small arms and agricultural products into Nigeria from neighbouring countries.

The closure, however,