This directive is in compliance with the decisions of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja.

ECOWAS leaders had agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.

The President has directed that the following sanctions imposed on the Republic of Niger be lifted immediately:

(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,” Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) said.

Reports had suggested that the border was now open for vehicle importation, but Hussaini Abdullahi, the Customs Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the Seme area command, stated in an interview with NAN that no pronouncement had been made regarding the reopening of the border.

He explained that a proposal was submitted to the federal government by some freight forwarders following advice from the former minister of state for transportation, Ademola Adegoroye.

Adegoroye had visited the border in February and advised the freight forwarders to submit their request in writing. Abdullahi mentioned that the letter had been received and passed on to a higher authority, but no directive had been given on the matter.

It is worth noting that former President Muhammadu Buhari had closed all land borders in August 2019 to combat smuggling and promote local rice production.

However, on December 6, 2020, Buhari ordered the immediate reopening of four land borders, including the Seme border in Lagos.