You Can’t Reopen What Is Already Open — Tunji-Ojo Fires Back at Atiku

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo

You Can’t Reopen What Is Already Open — Tunji-Ojo Fires Back at Atiku

Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has responded to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 border reopening pledge, insisting that Nigeria’s land borders are already open and therefore cannot be reopened.

Tunji-Ojo’s response came shortly after the Presidency rejected Atiku’s claim that he would reopen the country’s borders if elected president in the 2027 presidential election.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, had described Atiku’s claim as misleading, arguing that the Federal Government had already reopened most of Nigeria’s land borders and had not subsequently ordered a general closure.

Dare said the government reopened most land borders on March 14, 2024, as part of efforts to facilitate legitimate movement and cross-border trade.

He also cited the reopening of the Kamba border in Kebbi State by President Bola Tinubu on February 14, 2026, as further evidence that Nigeria’s land borders remain operational.

Reacting on Saturday, Tunji-Ojo said describing Nigeria’s borders as closed failed to account for the different reasons certain border crossings had been restricted at different periods.

“As the Minister of Interior who supervises the Nigeria Immigration Service being an agency of government in charge of border and migration management, it is expedient to state that Nigerian borders are not closed and so cannot be reopened,” he said.

The minister recalled that Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum borders were reopened on December 16, 2020.

He added that Idiroko and Ikom were reopened for goods and services on April 20, 2022, while the Kamba and Tsamiya border posts in Kebbi State were reopened under the current administration in February 2026.

According to Tunji-Ojo, the reopening of the crossings restored important links between Nigeria and its neighbouring countries, including Niger Republic and Benin Republic.

The minister also addressed Atiku’s references to Nigeria’s borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic, explaining that restrictions at some crossings were imposed for security reasons rather than as part of the country’s 2019 trade policy.

Tunji-Ojo specifically referred to the Banki and Amchidé crossings along the Cameroon border, saying they were closed in 2014 following Boko Haram attacks.

He said the crossings were reopened in 2019, while Fotokol and Gambaru followed in 2021 after joint military and stabilisation efforts involving Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

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The minister argued that treating these different episodes as one prolonged border closure wrongly combines trade policy with counter-insurgency operations.

“Folding this separate, security-driven history into one continuous 2019 shutdown misrepresents two distinct issues, trade regulation and counter-insurgency, as a single failure,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo nevertheless acknowledged that not every border crossing in northern Nigeria operates without restrictions.

He said tighter controls remain necessary in some areas affected by banditry and insurgency, stressing that such measures are intended to protect traders, residents and border communities.

The minister said effective border management cannot be reduced to a choice between completely closing borders and allowing unrestricted movement.

“Modern border management is not a choice between total closure and unrestricted movement; it requires security, documentation, customs compliance and controlled trade facilitation together,” he said.

He also challenged Atiku to provide details of his proposed border policy and explain what changes he intends to introduce if elected president.

“Political competition should not become a competition to rewrite recent history. If he has a new border proposal, he should set it out and explain how it differs from the current approach, rather than treating separate trade, security and infrastructure issues as one and the same,” Tunji-Ojo said.

Atiku’s proposal had centred on the economic importance of Nigeria’s land borders, particularly for businesses and communities that depend on cross-border commerce.

The former vice president has argued that restrictions affecting border trade have hurt entrepreneurs, traders and businesses, particularly young Nigerians who depend on regional commerce for their livelihoods.

He has also advocated measures to strengthen Nigeria’s ports and improve the movement of goods as part of a broader economic agenda ahead of the 2027 election.

The Presidency, however, maintains that an open border does not mean an uncontrolled border.

Dare said the government’s border policy is designed to facilitate legitimate movement, trade and economic activity while preventing terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking and other transnational crimes.

He challenged Atiku to identify the specific controls he would remove and explain what safeguards would be put in place to prevent criminals from exploiting the country’s borders.

The disagreement has consequently shifted the debate from the simple question of whether Nigeria’s borders are open to the more complex issue of how effectively they are managed.

Nigeria shares land borders with Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon, creating significant opportunities for regional trade while also presenting substantial security and migration challenges.

Border communities rely heavily on the movement of agricultural products, livestock, manufactured goods and other commodities across these routes.

However, authorities have repeatedly had to balance these economic interests against concerns over smuggling, irregular migration, trafficking, arms movement and activities by armed groups.

The current debate therefore raises broader questions about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s border infrastructure, customs procedures, immigration controls, surveillance systems and security arrangements.

For Atiku and his political platform, greater openness could boost trade and economic activity in border communities.

For the Federal Government, the priority is to maintain open and functional borders while ensuring that security and regulatory controls are not removed in ways that could expose Nigerians to greater risks.

The controversy is expected to remain part of the political conversation as parties and presidential aspirants develop their 2027 campaign policies.

Ultimately, the key issue may not be whether Nigeria should reopen its borders, but whether the country can make legitimate cross-border movement faster, safer and more affordable while maintaining effective security controls.

Atiku is now likely to face pressure to provide greater detail on what his proposed border policy would change, while the Federal Government will be expected to demonstrate that the existing system is genuinely facilitating legitimate trade and movement across Nigeria’s international borders.