The Presidency has challenged former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his promise to “open the borders” if elected president, insisting that Nigeria’s land borders are already open. In a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public……
The Presidency has challenged former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his promise to “open the borders” if elected president, insisting that Nigeria’s land borders are already open.
In a statement on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, the Presidency said the Federal Government reopened most of the country’s land borders on March 14, 2024, and has not reversed the decision.
“The facts are straightforward: Nigeria’s land borders are already open,” the statement said.
The Presidency also cited the opening of the Kamba border in Kebbi State by President Bola Tinubu on February 14, 2026, saying the development produced economic and diplomatic gains.
It therefore questioned which borders Atiku intended to “open” if elected, adding that if his proposal meant relaxing existing border controls, Nigerians deserved details on the specific controls he would remove and the safeguards he would introduce.
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The Presidency said such safeguards were necessary to prevent terrorism, arms trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking and other forms of transnational organised crime.
It stressed that “an open border is not an uncontrolled border,” explaining that modern border management is designed to facilitate legitimate movement, trade and economic interaction while preventing criminal and terrorist networks from exploiting the same channels.
According to the statement, effective border governance requires immigration control, customs administration, intelligence-sharing, surveillance, technology and coordinated security operations.
The Presidency said Nigeria’s northern security situation must also be considered alongside developments across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, noting that the country shares borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
“As Atiku rightly acknowledged, Nigeria shares borders with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon,” it said, adding that terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organised crime in the region could exploit porous borders.
The Presidency further cited the Global Terrorism Index 2026, which it said indicates that approximately 41 per cent of terrorist attacks occur within 50 kilometres of an international border, while about 64 per cent occur within 100 kilometres.
It said border areas were particularly vulnerable where difficult terrain, limited state presence and weak coordination create opportunities for terrorist groups to operate.
“The implications for Nigeria are obvious,” the statement said, arguing that effective border management has become an essential component of national security as insurgencies increasingly develop into networked and transnational threats.
The Presidency said Nigeria’s security focus on the Northeast and Northwest corridors, including the coordinated deployment of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, should not be interpreted as evidence that the country’s borders are closed.
“It reflects responsible border security,” it said.
The statement added that Atiku, having previously served as vice president, should understand the distinction between open borders and uncontrolled borders.
While acknowledging that political contestation was legitimate in a democracy, the Presidency said statements concerning national security and the economy should be based on facts, institutional understanding and credible policy alternatives.
It challenged the ADC presidential candidate to provide a detailed plan explaining how his administration would improve border surveillance, strengthen intelligence-sharing with neighbouring countries, modernise customs and immigration operations, deploy technology, protect border communities and deepen regional cooperation against terrorism and organised crime.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration remains open to scrutiny and should be judged by measurable outcomes in security, economic recovery, border management and citizens’ welfare. But such scrutiny must be based on facts,” the Presidency said.
It added that Nigeria’s borders should remain open to legitimate commerce and movement while being secured against terrorists and criminals through technology, intelligence and regional cooperation.
“That is the policy conversation Nigerians deserve,” the statement said.
The Presidency, however, questioned the substance of Atiku’s emerging campaign agenda, asking what new and credible contribution he intended to make to Nigeria’s development beyond policies already being implemented by the Tinubu administration.
It alleged that rather than presenting Nigerians with a coherent alternative, Atiku was increasingly focused on promising to “reverse, reopen, or rename initiatives already being implemented.”
