In a sharp diplomatic reversal, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered the reopening of Nigeria’s borders, land and air, with the Republic of Niger following the various sanctions it imposed on the neigbouring country in the wake of a coup detat.
The directive was conveyed in a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Wednesday.
The directive ncludes the lifting of financial and economic sanctions earlier imposed on the Republic of Guinea as well for the same reasons.
Furthermore, the sanctions lifted by President Tinubu includes that of the suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, along with the freeze of assets belonging to the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks and commercial banks.
Also included are the suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with institutions like EBID and BOAD, as well as the travel bans on government officials and their families – now reversed.
Tinubu’s policy reversal comes as the two sovereign states together with Mali and Baurkino Faso called the ECOWAS bluff, pulled out of the organization and sought to create a different economic bloc among themselves, threatening the ECOWAS integration dream.
At the extraordinary summit held earlier in Abuja on February 24, 2024, ECOWAS leaders unanimously agreed to lift economic and travel sanctions on Niger, Mali, and Guinea.
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