Nigerian borders closed: ECOWAS still looking for a solution

Many trucks stranded at the Nigerian border on the border with Niger. BOUREIMA HAMA / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

Six months after the closing of Nigeria's land borders with its neighbors, the consequences for economic exchanges within the ECOWAS are negative. The integration and trade ministers met in Ouagadougou to make proposals to end the crisis to the heads of state of the ECOWAS.

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Far from affecting only prohibited products, the closing of borders has an impact on products approved by the free trade scheme. Countries like Ghana, Togo and Côte d'Ivoire have been denied access to the Nigerian market for their products.

This closure has a negative impact on the volume of intra-Community trade since more than 80% of companies and products approved by trade liberalization scheme in the Cedeao area come from directly affected Member States.

" Economic operators, not to mention consumers, who today doubt our community, wonder if the ECOWAS is a reality, points out Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, president of the ECOWAS commission. In addition, the usefulness of important community projects, such as the construction of juxtaposed control ports, and even the creation of the single currency , may be questioned . "

Reassuring Nigeria

This situation is certainly worrying according to Salou Djibo, the president of the task force on the free movement of people and goods. But there are simpler and easier solutions to implement in order to reassure Nigeria, he underlines.

" The deployment of the national biometric identity card enabling a large number of citizens to be provided with a simple travel document at a reduced cost would make it possible to increase secure mobility and reduce red tape at borders and on the main roads of the ECOWAS. It would also reassure Nigeria regarding security concerns and human trafficking . "

The participants in the Ouagadougou meeting presented the conclusions of their work to the Burkinabè president, himself responsible for transmitting them to his peers in the Cedeao for validation.

► Read also: Nigeria: refugees from Cameroon are increasing in number

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  • ECOWAS
  • Trade and Exchanges
  • Nigeria

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