President Bola Tinubu has directed the opening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger and the lifting of other sanctions against the country with immediate effect.
This is coming seven months after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on Niger Republic after its presidential guards toppled President Mohamed Bazoum and announced Abdrahmane Tchiani as the country’s new leader.
Electricity supply to Niger Republic was also cut off by Nigeria as part of the sanctions.
According to a statement on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, the President gave the directive in compliance with the decisions of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its extraordinary summit on 24th February 2024, in Abuja.
ECOWAS leaders had agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
Ngelale said the President also directed that various other sanctions imposed on the Republic of Niger be lifted immediately. They are:
(1) Closure of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic, as well as ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger Republic.
(2) Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, as well as freeze of all service transactions, including utility services and electricity to Niger Republic.
(3) Freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks and freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger, state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial banks.
(4) Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID and BOAD.
(5) Travel bans on government officials and their family members.
President Tinubu has also approved the lifting of financial and economic sanctions against the Republic of Guinea.
