I’ll Reopen Borders, Develop Southern Ports If Elected President In 2027 – Atiku

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has promised to reopen Nigeria’s land borders and improve ports in the southern part of the country if he wins the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku, who is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, made the promise on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving members of a political support group.

He said reopening the borders would help restore legitimate trade with Nigeria’s neighbours, especially in the northern part of the country.

According to him, the prolonged closure of the borders has hurt businesses and left many young entrepreneurs facing bankruptcy and unemployment.

He pointed out that several northern states share borders with Niger, Chad, Cameroon and the Benin Republic, making cross-border trade an important part of the local economy.

“How can there be security? So I said I’m going to reopen the borders,” Atiku said.

His comments came months after President Bola Tinubu’s administration reopened the Kamba and Tsamiya border routes with Niger Republic.

The Kamba border was reopened on February 9, 2026, in a move aimed at improving trade and economic activities in communities around the border.

Atiku also said his proposed government would invest in southern ports to create a better distribution system for imported goods.

He said ports in places such as Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt could make it easier and cheaper to move goods to the northern states, particularly the North-East.

The former vice-president said he had previously travelled to Europe to hold discussions with shipping and ship development companies about improving Nigeria’s southern ports.

“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,” Atiku said.

Nigeria currently has major ports in Lagos, Rivers, Delta and Cross River states.

Using his factory in Adamawa as an example, Atiku said moving a container from Lagos to Yola can take as long as two months because of poor roads.

He argued that reopening the borders while upgrading port and road infrastructure would support businesses, speed up the movement of goods and create more economic opportunities across the country.

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