Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to reopen Nigeria’s land borders and develop ports in the southern part of the country if elected president in 2027.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made the promise on Wednesday when a political support group visited him in Abuja.
The pledge comes months after the administration of President Bola Tinubu reopened the Kamba and Tsamiya border routes with Niger Republic.
The Kamba border was reopened on February 9, 2026, with the Federal Government describing the move as a boost to cross-border trade and economic activities in communities in the area.
Atiku, however, said more needed to be done to restore legitimate trans-border trade, particularly along Nigeria’s northern borders with neighbouring countries.
He said the closure of the borders had adversely affected legitimate businesses, forcing many young entrepreneurs into bankruptcy and unemployment.
According to him, northern states share borders with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic, making cross-border trade an important source of livelihood for millions of residents.
“How can there be security? So I said I’m going to reopen the borders,” he said.
Southern ports
The former vice-president also pledged to develop ports in the southern region to create a more balanced system for the importation and transportation of goods across the country.
Atiku said he had previously travelled across Europe to engage shipping and ship-development companies on how to develop ports in the South and South-East.
“During the last campaign, I went across Europe to discuss with shippers and ship development companies: how can we together develop south and southeastern ports, so that there is balance as far as importation of goods and transportation of goods are concerned,” he said.
He said developing ports in Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt would reduce the time and cost of transporting goods to the North-East.
Nigeria currently has operational seaports in Lagos, Rivers, Delta and Cross River states.
Atiku, who disclosed that he owns a factory in Adamawa State, said transporting a container from Lagos to Yola could take up to two months because of poor road infrastructure.
He said reopening the borders and improving port infrastructure would stimulate businesses, facilitate the movement of goods and create more economic opportunities for Nigerians.
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