By Aiyeku Timothy
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed has disclosed that land borders with other neighbouring countries in West Africa would be reopened soon.
Ahmed made this known to State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday.
The minister stated that the decision to reopen the land border was recommended by the presidential committee set up by the federal government, adding that the report would be submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Ahmed did not disclose when the report will be submitted, but confirmed that the committee would soon submit its report to President Muhammadu Buhari after which a formal pronouncement would be made on the matter.
Land borders were closed as ordered by the federal government in August last year to check illegal importation of drugs, small arms and agricultural products into the country from neighbouring nations.
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), had on Monday, lamented that goods worth N130 billion belonging to the private sector were trapped since August 2019 when the land border closure began.
“The association therefore secured the assurances of the Federal Government on the need to effect gradual reopening of the closed borders with particular focus on rules of origin to prevent abuses of incentives like the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS).” the National President of ANLCA, Iju Tony Nwabunike said.
