Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says the nation’s land borders will remain closed until neighbouring countries meet the requirements for it to be reopened.

Emefiele said this on Monday while speaking to journalists after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
The federal government had closed the country’s land borders to importing and exporting of all items in a bid to curb illegal trading activities by Nigeria’s neighbours.

Hameed Ali, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), had said that Nigeria’s borders will remain closed until the country and its neighbours agree on existing ECOWAS protocol on movement.

Despite several calls by stakeholders for the re-opening of the borders, Emefiele said the affected countries must first have “concrete engagements” on mutual anti-smuggling policies.

He explained that the smuggling of goods through these countries undermines Nigeria’s economic policy.

“We are not saying that the borders should be closed in perpetuity, but that before the borders are reopened, there must be concrete engagements with countries that are involved in using their ports and countries as landing ports for bringing in goods meant for local consumption, it is understandable,” Emefiele said.

“But the fact that those products are landed in their countries and then transshipped or smuggled into Nigeria is something that I am sure you all agree as Nigerians we should not allow happening because it undermines our economic policy, it undermines our own desire to make sure that industries are alive and jobs are created in Nigeria.”

Emefiele further said that the country’s rice and poultry farmers have, since the closure, recorded improved sales.

“Recently, and this is the absolute truth, about two weeks before the border closure, the chairman of the Rice Processors Association, incidentally, he owns Umza Rice in Kano, called me and said that all the rice millers and processors are having in their warehouses nothing less than 25,000 metric tons of milled rice. That this rice has been unsold because of the smuggling and dumping through Republic of Benin and other border posts that we have in the country and that he would want us to do something about it,” he said.

“Secondly, we also have members of the Poultry Association of Nigeria who also complained that they have thousands of crates of eggs that they could not sell together with even some of the processed chickens also arising from the problem of smuggling and dumping of poultry products into Nigeria.

“A week after the borders were closed, the same rice millers association called to tell us that all the rice that they had in their warehouses have all been sold. Indeed, a lot of people have been depositing money in their accounts and they have even been telling them ‘please hold on don’t even pay money yet until we finished processing your rice’.

“The Poultry Associations have also come to say that they have sold all their eggs, they have sold all their processed chickens and that demand is rising.”
According to him, the improved sale of rice and poultry products is the benefit of closing the borders.

“So when you asked, what is the benefit of the border closure on the economy of Nigeria, I just used two products – poultry and rice. The benefit is that it has helped to create jobs for our people, it has helped to bring the integrated rice milling that we have in the country back into business again and they are making money. Our rural communities are bubbling because there are activities because rice farmers are able to sell their paddy. The poultry business is also doing well, and also maize farmers who produce maize from which feeds are produced are also doing business. These are the benefits,” he said.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had
backed Nigeria’s closure of its borders.


https://www.thecable.ng/emefiele-borders-remain-closed-neighbouring-countries-meet-conditions/amp

Hmmmm...Na wao!

Border closure is the new song at least for the remaining part of the year. Although it is a good development until our neighbouring countries get sense.

APC have already added it to their achievements. Useless and idiotic party without any blueprint for governance.

God knows best

Na so

These mummu people are not
even aware that we the citizens are
even suffering more than our neighbors.

They are determined for this closure
because na govt dey feed them. They
care less for the masses..

Buhari & Osinbade have all doubled
their feeding & travelling allowances in the
2O2O budget. So selfish


As usual, buhari is using hunger as a
tool of governance just like he did in 1984!!


If we want to make more money as
a country, why not stop fuel importation
which creates the waste called subsidy.

Why don't we ban medical tourism
& repair/ equip or specialist & teaching
hospitals?

They won't do that because it will affect
them directly, na only the one that
affects masses dem dey implement
with full force.


Emefiele is just acting as a 'yes man' to protect
himself & Zenith Bank.

A

This border closure is unarguably the highlight of the year across west Africa.

Long live Nigeria

Make una open border oh!

Oga calm down. Them go open after after Christmas and new year celebrations.

Just before valentine


It's a nomadic idea to frustrate the southerners

Next na make petrol scare, and ekenedilichukwu price increase


Last last omo nna go go village this year

Amen!!!

For those rejoicing, read this part

“The Poultry Associations have also come to say that they have sold all their eggs, they have sold all their processed chickens and that demand is rising.”

The rising demand will only result in one thing, price increase. With no parallel increase in income, the poor Nigerian will be poorer at the expense of the rich. Tighten your belts folks!

Good

Story

When will Nigeria itself comply？Foreigners are not the ones importing rice into Nigeria. Nigerians are doing it.

That's serious. Oya neighbors make una comply biko

Pay after we've designed your website. Check my signature or profile for link to our past projects

If we can import petrol, why won't we import rice?

This is what using your advantage for leverage means. As the 7th most populated country out of a 195 countries in the world, we have bargaining chips. We may be corrupt, mismanaged and lagging in development, but we are still a consumer based economy and everybody wants to sell us their goods. It's high time Benin republic, Togo and Ghana realize that their economy will spiral into a great depression if they don't meet our terms.

Viva Nigeria!!

Otherwise, the border should remain closed forever. Nigeria must not listen to any stakeholder for their selfish interest until the neighbouring countries meet the laid down conditions.

So what are you insinuating ?that is good or not ?

seankafor:
This border closure is unarguably the highlight of the year across west Africa.

Long live Nigeria

Jerryembassy91:
So what are you insinuating ?that is good or not ?

either way, at least west Africa now knows who tun the show

Plus homage tax

The big hand!

Nigerian policies sha...

This man get luck oo. No wonder he dey talk anyhow. Only God knows how much billions of naira have been deposited into his account.

musicwriter:
When will Nigeria itself comply？Foreigners are not the ones importing rice into Nigeria. Nigerians are doing it.

let them use apapa

Indeed Nigeria is a big country o, na we just dey underrate ourselves. Imagine many African countries lamenting just because we close border. Nigeria I love u

BuhariBuster:
For those rejoicing, read this part



The rising demand will only result in one thing, price increase. With no parallel increase in income, the poor Nigerian will be poorer at the expense of the rich. Tighten your belts folks!

So we should open our borders to smuggling? Not a must to eat chicken brov.
I drove in from Togo to Nigeria on an official trip, I arrived Nigeria border around 3am. The level of smuggling was unimaginable. The cars were flowing in as if there was car race. Even ones without burnett, some without windscreens, cars that have been adjusted by welders to allow loads of rice fit in properly etc etc. If you love your country, at least this is the right step. Let them (Benin, Niger and Cameroon) work on their border. All this countries, all will gain afterwards.

hatchy:
Hmmmm...Na wao!

Border closure is the new song at least for the remaining part of the year. Although it is a good development until our neighbouring countries get sense.

APC have already added it to their achievements. Useless and idiotic party without any blueprint for governance.

And you just couldn't stop talking at the end of the first paragraph talk talk

Honestly,i've been wondering what our closed borders has to do with the Ghanian traders...anyways,we Nigerians aren't tired of their threats,so they can keep pouring them on us until they realise their wrongs,and do the needful ASAP.