The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has challenged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s promise to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president in 2027, declaring that the nation’s borders are already operational.
Tunji-Ojo made the clarification in a statement on Saturday in response to Atiku’s position on border management and his proposed policy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The minister explained that the Nigeria Immigration Service, which is under his ministry, is responsible for managing the country’s borders and migration, adding that the Federal Government had maintained controlled movement of people and goods through various border points.
He said, “As the Minister of Interior who supervises the Nigeria Immigration Service, 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.”
Tunji-Ojo said several strategic land borders had been reopened in recent years, noting that Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum were reopened in December 2020.
He added that Idiroko and Ikom were subsequently reopened to facilitate the movement of goods and services, while Kamba and Tsamiya border posts in Kebbi State were reopened by the present administration in February 2026.
According to him, Atiku’s description of the border situation involving Cameroon, Chad, Niger Republic and Benin Republic as a prolonged closure resulting from the 2019 trade policy was inaccurate.
The minister particularly explained that the shutdown of the Banki and Amchidé crossings on the Cameroon frontier was triggered by the Boko Haram insurgency and not by the trade policy introduced in 2019.
“The prolonged closures on the Cameroon border, at Banki and Amchidé, did not arise from the 2019 trade policy at all. They date to 2014, when Boko Haram forced their closure for security reasons,” he said.
He noted that the affected crossings were reopened in 2019, while the Fotokol and Gambaru routes followed in 2021 after coordinated military and stabilisation operations involving Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
Tunji-Ojo acknowledged that some border routes in the North were still subject to tighter controls because of insecurity, stressing that such restrictions were necessary to protect border communities and travellers.
“Not every northern crossing is fully unrestricted today. Where banditry or residual insurgent activity persists, tighter control is a deliberate security judgement, not neglect,” the minister stated.
He warned that opening border routes indiscriminately in areas still affected by insecurity could create additional risks for traders, residents and security personnel.
Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria’s border policy should not be reduced to the choice between shutting borders completely and allowing unrestricted movement, arguing that security measures must operate alongside documentation, customs enforcement and legitimate trade.
“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.
The minister challenged Atiku to spell out the details of his proposed border policy and explain how it would improve on the current system.
“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.
He further urged politicians to avoid presenting disputed accounts of the country’s border history for political advantage as preparations for the 2027 election intensify.
“Political competition should not become a competition to rewrite recent history,” he said.
Atiku, a former vice-president and six-time presidential aspirant since 1993, had made the proposed reopening of land borders part of his plans for the country ahead of the 2027 election.
He had also advocated the construction and development of additional seaports in the South-East and South-South, saying this would help correct what he described as an imbalance in Nigeria’s import and transportation infrastructure.
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