By Abiola Olawale
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has shifted focus back to Nigeria’s trade and economic landscape.
Following his recent policy declarations regarding the fuel subsidy, Atiku has made a fresh vow to reopen all land borders across the country, arguing that ongoing closures have driven a generation of young entrepreneurs into bankruptcy.
Speaking to supporters in a viral video on Friday, the 2027 presidential hopeful emphasized that border restrictions implemented to curb smuggling have instead inflicted severe collateral damage on legitimate regional commerce and transborder trade.
Atiku said the border closure had left many young traders in the region jobless and bankrupt, promising to revive their businesses if elected president in 2027.
According to him, the unemployment caused by the border closure has led to a sharp increase in the security crisis.
He said: “The northern states border Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin Republic, and the rest. They closed all the borders.
“All our young men who are engaged in trading between these countries — what we call trans-border trading — are involved in a legitimate business.
“All the young men and women with capital of over one million naira, recruiting two to three others, have gone bankrupt and become unemployed. How can there be security? I am going to reopen all the borders.”
