Breaking: Finally, Buhari orders Immediate opening of four land borders

Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the reopening of four land borders with immediate effect, while others will be reopened subsequently.

The Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning Mrs Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed after the week’s virtual FEC meeting, also said restriction on the importation of some commodities, like rice and other products, would continue to be enforced.

The borders opened for now include Seme Border in the Southwest, Ilela Border in the Northwest, Mfun Border in the Southsouth and Maigatari Border in the Northwest.

NewsWireNGR recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari ordered closure of Nigeria’s land border with Benin, preventing the import of goods. . On October 14, Nigeria ordered closed all of Nigeria’s borders with Benin, as well as those with all other countries.

The Policy action has long led impact in trade on foodstuffs even though it was intiallty intended as an effort to tackle smuggling and associated corruption, but also to spur the domestic agricultural industry

Imports into Nigeria are to come through sea ports, where customs duties can be imposed more easily than at land borders.

Last month, the National President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Ezekiel Ibrahim, had warned that the poultry industry might be forced to shut down by January 2021 if urgent actions are not taken by the government to address the high cost of grains and other challenges facing the industry.

Mr Ibrahim disclosed this when speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

He said, “In view of the above negative impacts and disaster that will befall the Nigeria poultry industry if urgent actions are not taken immediately by the government, the industry might be forced to shut down completely by January 2021. The present atmosphere and scenario of things are very alarming and critical.”

“In the post-COVID-19 and the lockdown that followed, the poultry industry suffered devastating losses occasioned by the restriction of movement of goods and services, which include eggs, day-old chicks, poultry feeds, and other essential inputs for poultry production.

“Billions of naira were lost in sales of eggs and chicken resulting in the closure of many small and medium-sized poultry farms.